Captain Planet: Armageddon
by ray1
Summary: The Sunak invasion and the Death Dealer draw ever closer, as Wheeler and Linka continue on their journey to become Guardians.
1. Chapter 1

**Captain Planet: Armageddon**

_For more than a thousand years, Heaven and Hell, the two protectors, or destroyers of time and space, have maintained a system that patrols all known species in the known universe. In order to do that, they trained those with supernatural abilities, and who understood the need for harmony, to create a system of balance between good and evil. They would simply be known as spirits._

_For each planet, there were two. One a preserver. The other a destroyer. Both understood the necessity to maintaining a thin line between being a true paradise, and a total wasteland._

_However, their plan was flawed. They didn't take into account that the spirits would soon take their role too seriously. They lived too long, as long as their respective planets existed. And they saw too much._

_The planet Sunak was a prime example of how the balance had worked. Their elemental spirits were in harmony, and their civilization had achieved a level of technology that allowed them to explore the galaxy in starships. All of this was accomplished at time when humanity had barely begun to understand the secret of forging iron tools._

_A rogue spirit, who had destroyed his counter part, and his own world, changed all that._

_He hit with the power of one hundred thousand nuclear warheads, causing the tectonic plates to literally tear the planet apart in matter of moments. The civilization was completely decimated, and the spirits crushed in under a few minutes. Only twenty ships managed to get away, to spread the message of a powerful demon, and to plot vengeance._

_It happened before, on other planets._

_It will happen again._

_The only questions are where, when, and if anyone can stop him in time._

_And with the Sailor Scouts and the Digi-Destined on Lunar, the planet Earth is vulnerable, not only from the spirit._

_From the Sunak…_

**Chapter One: The Beginning**

_Russia, Eleven years ago_

In the nation of Russia, at the time of the Soviet Union, a small town struggled to survive through the cold and changes that were beginning to sweep through the lands. The towns only source of income was a small mine that supplied them with pig iron, which had been started almost four years ago. It wasn't much, but it was enough for the people living there.

However, where Gorbachev was starting to make changes, the people of that little town were largely concerned with simply surviving the cold air, with little food, and even less firewood.

And one of them was simply interested in keeping her sanity intact.

Screaming, the little girl woke up, looking around in fear, and sorrow. She had just had a nightmare that an eight year old had no reason to have. And it was a nightmare that came as no surprise to her.

She looked out the window, seeing that the sun was rising already. She could already hear the birds in the other room, starting to chirp cheerfully. The sounds of life awakening in her little part of the world.

For some reason, it did nothing to comfort her today, like it would have any other day. Her mind was in turmoil, like it had been for the last few weeks. And she had no idea what she was going to do.

"Linka…"

Turning around quickly, Linka saw her grandmother standing in the doorway, looking at her with concern. "Did you have another dream, little Linka?" she asked.

Linka observed her grandmother. A portly, elderly woman, with a close crop of hair, she was the only thing Linka had ever had as a mother. She had raised her, while her father worked in the mines to earn their living.

"_Da_," was all she said. "I had another dream…about that little boy." A lone tear slid down her cheek, unnoticed. "He is alone now. And there is nothing anyone can do about it." She looked over at her grandmother. "Oh grandmother, what is happening to me?"

Her grandmother came up to give her a hug. She had never seen her granddaughter like this before, but she. "I cannot give you that answer…because I do not know what you are seeing. I do know however, that that little boy will be taken care of. There is nothing you can do now to help him." She gave her granddaughter a reassuring smile. "What you can do is live your own life. Who knows, perhaps one day you will meet that boy. And you will be his friend."

Linka smiled a little bit. "Perhaps," was all she said.

Her grandmother smiled. "Would you like to feed the birds today, or do you want me to do it alone today?"

"_Nyet_." Linka's smile grew. "You know I would not let anyone feed the birds without me."

Smiling, the two went into the bird room, unaware that someone had overheard them.

Turning around, the elderly man began walking away, leaning heavily on his staff. "It appears that she will become the next one," he muttered to himself. "And I have saved her soul mate from destruction. It is surprising though, that she has seen him in her dreams, and at this early of an age." He paused for a moment. "I must tread cautiously for the next decade. His power grows."

Looking back at the house, he could hear the faint chirping of birds, and smiled. "Rest well, young Linka," he said gently. "You will see that young boy again. May God be with you." He saluted the house. "Let the prophecy survive."

And with a small whirl, he vanished.

* * *

Yggdrasil was in chaos.

Goddesses were running back and forth, between giving their reports and rushing to their stations. Ceres and Athena were currently giving orders to their respective duty shifts in the separation of relief workers from the various Relief Offices. Templers were heading for their defense checkpoints, following training that had been ingrained into their minds millennium ago.

And as Peorth, goddess second class ran to her duty station, she could not help but wonder what all the commotion was about.

"Peorth!" Ceres voice cut through her train of thought. "Give me a visual through satellite eight, Earth view."

"Yes ma'am." Peorth slid into her seat, and began entering the command into her harp-designed interface. The Planet Earth appeared on the main screen. "Ready, ma'am."

A young, promising Goddess, Peorth had risen through the ranks relatively fast, overshooting her competition by light-years. She was already only a month away from being promoted to Goddess First Class, and getting put in charge of one of the Goddess Relief Offices. Her goal was to become one of the chief duty officers of the primary system.

The only other one who was shooting at that speed was the one who was sitting in the seat beside her, getting her orders from her superiors into where she would be going with her team.

As if sensing that she was being watched, the other young Goddess turned around. "Yes, Peorth?" she asked, smiling a little.

Peorth grinned. "So you got the mission to New York, Belldandy. This is just what you need to get out of that depression over your mentor's leaving. And to get that promotion you're going to need."

Belldandy blushed. She was always so modest about her standing. "All I want to do is help others to the best of my ability. That's all. It brings me such joy to be able to help people with their dreams and fulfill their wishes. I could never be a commander. Not like you."

Peorth observed Belldandy with a critical eye. Around the same age as Peorth, she was slightly taller than her, with silky blond locks, and the blue and white dress that she always wore wrapped around her body. Like all the Gods and Goddesses in Heaven, she had three identifying marks that stated her as a member of Heaven's elite. Her top one was diamond shaped, though, letting everyone know that she was the new Fate of the present. All in all, a lot of responsibility to put on one person's shoulders. Also, Peorth knew for a fact that Belldandy was the envy of the entire female population. After all, it was impossible for them to get dates when the men were always chasing Belldandy around.

Now that she thought about it, she was wondering why there had been a line of the young gods out in front of Belldandy's office, all of them carrying roses or chocolates with them. The only thing Belldandy did not have was ambition. Other than that, she had everything.

"Don't worry about it," she said. "If you get put in charge, I think the Goddess Relief Office you work in would become the envy of Heaven." She added a wink to it. "And you might actually find someone, instead of locking yourself in your room everyday, trying to get as much work done as possible."

Belldandy smiled. "Maybe. So that is our objective, Lady Athena?"  
Athena turned around, smiling gently. A strong, formidable looking Goddess, she looked very much like an Amazon Warrior. She had been alive for two thousand years, and was one of the chief supporters of the rogue spirit crisis that had burned across the galaxy like a wildfire. Peorth knew this, because she had read the most recent files. In fact, she now knew that it was the reason behind the immediate mobilization of two Offices, as well as half the sentinels.

"New York. Apparently, we have had another attack. The rogue has destroyed an apartment building in the outer fringes of the city, and has almost sealed off the exits. The local human authorities have already responded, but there are still many people still trapped in the building that they can't get too." She turned to Belldandy. "Your orders are to go down there, and help as many of them as you possibly can escape. Also, ascertain whether or not the rogue has escaped, or is still there. If he is, try your best to capture him."

Belldandy nodded, noting that she would not be blamed or reprimanded if she was not successful. Her primary mission, helping those in trouble, was of greater importance.

"Lady Belldandy, you will be in command of the mission. The Sentinels will answer to your will." She shook the young Goddess's hand. "Our prayers are with you."

"Thank you." Belldandy gave a little bow, and walked out, her group behind her. Peorth watched her walk out, her posture stiff. The responsibilities of a leader already making her smile disappear.

On second thought, maybe Belldandy could be a commander like Peorth.

* * *

The first thing Belldandy felt when she arrived at the scene was the heat. '_They haven't gotten control of the fire!' _she thought in alarm. This was going to make their job more difficult.

"All right! Sentinels, spread out and see if you can find the rogue!" The Sentinels immediately split into several groups, and headed for predetermined search points. Belldandy turned to the rest of her subordinates. "All relief workers, follow me!"

Breaking into a run, she began covering the distance between their drop off point and the source of the heat. She heard her fellow goddesses follow her. The instant she came around the bend, though, she instantly regretted having all the sentinels go on definitive search and destroy.

Because this was too big for even them.

"All right then, prioritize, what is the most important thing to do?" she racked through all the possibilities, then made her decision. "All right then." She pointed to two of them. "Take three fellow Goddesses with you. Take the first several floors, and see if you can get everyone else out. Relieve those who won't survive of their suffering, and help their souls ascend. You, you, and you, with me. We are going to take the last three floors. Move out!" Instantly, Belldandy took flight, taking a circular route around them firemen and policemen that had already arrived. They were on a mission, but they couldn't reveal themselves to the mortals. For some reason, that reminded her of something, but she couldn't pinpoint it. She wouldn't worry about it until later.

Spotting a roof door, she landed, her squad behind her. She tried to open the door. When she found the door was locked, she decided, though it went against her grain, to just force the door open. She could do it.

Ramming her shoulder against the heavy door, she broke the lock with it. The door swung open, Belldandy and her group through it almost immediately. "Split up!" Belldandy shouted, reaching the first floor on her list. She rammed herself through the first door on her right, realizing that showing herself with luminescence was not of grave importance. She needed to get these people out of the building.

"Hello!" she shouted into the apartment. "Can anyone hear me?" She didn't get a response, and immediately ventured into the room, looking all over.

She found someone in one of the bedroom, a little boy, no more than five years old. He looked scared, and Belldandy's heart went out to him. However, he could not stay here, otherwise, he would die from smoke inhalation.

She held her hand out, hoping the young boy would take. "I'm sorry if you are scared, and I know you were told not to talk to strangers, but I'm going to have to ask you to trust me."

The boy nodded. "Are you an angel?" he simply asked.

Belldandy smiled. "As a matter of fact, I am." She saw the expression on the boys face. "Not what you were expecting, is it?"

The boy shook his head. "My mommy and daddy told me that angels always appeared in a bright light, and had halos over their heads, and had wings."  
"My, talkative." Belldandy gave him a slightly more mischievous smile. "The light is just an effect, we don't have halos unless we are visiting someone who is on the verge of death. And we don't openly show our wings. It would have people ask too many questions."  
"Okay." The boy definitely looked satisfied with the answers. "Where are my parents?"

Belldandy looked around. "Calypso!" she shouted.

"Yes." Her fellow second class Goddess called out from the hall.

"Did you get everyone else out of the building?" Belldandy didn't want to pull any of the others off the job, but she needed to be sure.

"Well, teams two and three have run across some of the firefighters, but they were guys that our relief office had made wishes come true, so they left us alone."

"Good, I need some help in here. Get this little boy out of here. I'm going to see if his parents are okay."

Calypso came in, and took the boy in her arms. Cooing gently, she ran out of the room. Belldandy watched them go, then ran into the main bedroom. She found her parents, both coughing rather harshly. "Are you too able to walk?" Belldandy shouted, so they could hear her. They nodded. "All right then. Come on! We have to get you out of here before the whole building collapses!"

"Where's our son!?" the lady cried out, looking frantic.

"She's with an associate of mine! I think they may have gotten out already! Now I have to worry about you two!" She helped the woman up, then got her and the man on either side of her. Staggering somewhat under all of the weight, because her equilibrium was a little off, she made her way to the door.

"Belldandy!" Discord came running up. "We have gotten everyone out of the building. Here, let me give you a hand." Without waiting for permission, she took the man off Belldandy's shoulder. Belldandy appreciated it. Discord was a little disruptive, but all in all, she was as dedicated as any of them. Now the main question was all that remained. Where was the rogue?

As if to answer that question, a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, and turned to see a blur head up to the stairwell they had come down. She immediately handed the other survivor to Discord. "Get out of here. Get the sentinels, and tell them to get back here. I'm heading up to the roof. Now go!" She waited until Discord had reached the stairwell and descended, then turned around and headed back the way she came in.

As she climbed, she kept her ears open, so as not to get caught unawares. She tried to remember everything she was taught in her basic defense courses. She could only recall one thing, and that was to not be predictable in her attack. Not a good sign for someone with a perfect memory.

Finally, she stepped back out onto the roof, looking left and right. She didn't feel anything, but that was not surprising. She did remember that spirits were undetectable to anyone who was a member of Yggdrasil. She would have to use her other senses.

"I must admit, you arrived faster than I expected, young lady," a voice noted, making her head snap around in surprise. "I was not expecting you for another…fifteen minutes. It is very interesting, to say the least."

Belldandy's blood ran cold as she laid her eyes on the rogue. He was not unhandsome, with a crop of bluish black hair. A gray streak marked his spirit status, as well as an additional streak down the middle, letting others know he was one of the oldest as well. He wore armor of alien design, at least by Earth standards. All in all, someone a person would think was just a tad out of the design loop.

However, it was the look in his eyes that made him terrifying to behold. It was a look of utter madness, of pure evil. The look of a being who had marched unopposed throughout the galaxy, taking the powers of spirits he murdered, then destroying the planets and their civilizations. This was the reason that the Supreme Council, indeed the Almighty himself, made capturing him a priority. In fact, all gods and goddesses with field duty were told to capture him, even if they were seen using their powers to do so. He was what made a relief operation into an Alpha Priority assignment.

As she got into a defensive position, the spirit gave her an appraising look. "My, my. You are a very lovely goddess. Full of innocence, and unlimited optimism. And, maturing beauty. All in all, one who hasn't seen combat."

Belldandy told herself not to listen to him, to focus on her orders. "You are under arrest for the deaths of hundreds of spirits, as well as defying the will of Heaven. If you come quietly, I will not bind you."

The spirit sighed, as if disappointed in her. He had never seen such naivety in an immortal before. "You truly do not understand, young one," he murmured. "You have not seen enough of the galaxy to realize how it runs. In this universe, you must be willing to exercise your might, or be tossed aside like rotting fruit. And until your Supreme Council understands that, you will never be able to stop me." He grinned, as if a sudden thought had come to him. "However, if you think you can catch me, than, try to do so." With that challenge, he turned and leaped off the roof.

Belldandy gasped and ran to the edge, looking down. She saw the rogue stand up from the crouched position, and give her a smile that was unnerving. '_He's mocking me!'_ she realized with a dawning sense of horror. '_But why?' _She decided to dwell on that later. Taking a breath, she leaped over the edge.

She fell through the flames, feeling slightly uneasy. However, she landed gracefully, and with no stumbling on her part. Celestin would have approved. She began running after him, her footsteps echoing in the alleyway.

The rogue continued to taunt her. He would slow down, just enough for her to see him. "Come now, young goddess! I know you can be faster then this! Don't you want to catch me?"

Belldandy continued to ignore him, concentrating on her orders, and hoping that the sentinels would arrive. She was not going to let him escape. His rein of destruction was going to end tonight. One way or another.

She kept that thought strong until she entered a particularly long stretch of alleyway. Then she stumbled across a body.

Shocked, Belldandy came to a halt, kneeling down to see if the person was dead. She felt for a pulse, detected a weak one, then checked to see if the person was breathing. She saw that she was. Now she turned the person over.

She immediately saw that it was a female, about twenty-five years of age. She was apparently out cold. Belldandy stooped a little closer…and immediately recoiled back in horror. She couldn't believe it. What she thought was an unconscious female, was in fact a female who was better off dead. Her eyes were vacant, devoid of any sign of life. Her arm was broken in three places, and from what Belldandy could tell, the woman was paralyzed from the waist down. Her face was almost a black and blue mask, and had she been conscious of it all, she would have already have been unconscious.

"This is why I let you follow me, without any opposition," the rogues voice stated, sounding rather proud. "She fought me, trying to save her only child. She was successful. Her son is now hidden from my sight, and will remain so until his son reaches his ninth birthday. But she paid for it. She paid for it dearly. She is in an eternal nightmare, where she will see this night happen over and over again. Only in her dreams, though. In her waking hours, she will be nothing more than a mental vegetable. Unable to speak, unable to do anything on her own. She is, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world. As well as to you. And there is not a thing you can do to help her."

Belldandy stared at her in sorrow, then up at the rogue, who was smirking openly. "Why…why did you do it?" she managed to get out through her shock.

"Because I can. What good is power if you are not willing to use it?" His smile grew more malicious. "It is a pity you do not. And now, you never will." Instantly, a sword appeared in his hand, it's obsidian blade glinting darkly. "I have never had the chance to kill a Goddess before, but then again, you are the first one I have ever met. And now, I have a very powerful dilemma; do I kill you, or take you against your will? It's the ultimate question, and no easy answer." Then a proverbial light bulb went on in his hand. "I can do both, now that I think about it. It would actually be more fun than just doing one of them."

And in a flash, he was on her, trapping her against a wall. She could feel one of his hands starting to rip her uniform off. Starting to grope around. "And I am going to enjoy it very, very much."

"_No!_"

Suddenly, four bolts of lightning struck the rogue, knocking him off of her, and down the alley. Belldandy turned her head to see a group of sentinels coming down the opposite direction, their staves up and ready.

The rogue chuckled, getting up and dusting himself off. "You must be kidding. They send only four sentinels?" He slowly raised his hand. "Not nearly enough."

Instantly, the Sentinels were blown away by a surge of energy. It happened so fast that Belldandy didn't even have a chance to comprehend it. Their bodies slid across the ground, quite dead.

Belldandy could not believe it. Four sentinels, who were capable of containing the power of the head of the Supreme Council of Heaven for almost four minutes, were beaten in less than four seconds.

She had no time to grieve for them, as he was walking over to her again. "Now then, where were we?" he asked. His hand reached out again.

Belldandy closed her eyes, bracing herself.

"You were leaving, Sakar."

Belldandy looked in the direction of the voice…and was properly amazed. She also saw the rogue, who's name she now knew as Sakar, turned around in surprise.

A female spirit stood next to the bodies of the sentinels, watching the Death Dealer with a gaze of steel. And Belldandy could tell she was a spirit, because of the gray streak that went through her hair. She was old, as old as the planet, as well as wise. She wore a purple dress, with a matching scarf. It became apparent that she had come for Sakar.

"Gaia!" Sakar looked absolutely delighted. "So good of you to join us!"

'_Gaia!? The spirit of the earth!?'_ Belldandy stared in relief, and confusion at the spirit. It sounded like she had had dealings with the monster before.

Gaia began walking towards the two of them. "You must realize what you are doing," she said, assuming a non aggressive stance. "If you continue to do this, then you are condemning an entire planet of people to death. Don't you care about that at all?"

Sakar pretended to ponder that. "No," he finally said. "In fact, I was hoping to kill you all, and become the preeminent being in the universe."

"Your hatred continues to blind you. You should realize that your power isn't infinite, and it never will." Gaia stepped in front of Belldandy. "You will not harm this woman, or any other person on this planet ever again. Your fight is with me."

Sakar grinned. "I was hoping you would say that." His grin grew more evil. "Unfortunately, not even yours and Zarm collective power can stop me."

Belldandy watched as Gaia shook her head. "You will not win. Others will rise against you."

"And I'll destroy them as well!" Sakar lunged…and was promptly hit again from the side.

The remaining sentinels and goddesses had arrived.

Urd walked up, her arm crackling. "This creep giving you problem, sis?" she asked, smirking.

"A little." Belldandy braced herself against the wall her eyes focusing on Sakar. "_Watch out!!!"_

Urd turned to see Sakar coming at them, his blade glinting in the shadows. She braced herself, letting loose with another lightning bolt. Around her, she felt the others doing the same thing. It was enough concentrated power to break six buildings in half.

Sakar merely blocked the attacks, and kept on coming, grinning all the way. "Do you honestly think that a few lightning bolts can stop me?" he roared. He brought his blade up, ready to skewer Urd where she stood.

And Belldandy finally attacked, unwilling to let her sister die at the hands of that rogue. Her power unleashed itself in a concentrated burst of power the likes of which had never been seen before in any goddess or God.

Sakar gave a roar of shock as he felt the goddess energy strike him, hurtling him into the air at a speed that would have put the Blackbird to shame. He caught a glimpse at what would have been his first goddess victim, eyes glowing a powerful white, before he was out of range. He had never felt such power before strike him. It rivaled his own.

He had underestimated her.

Belldandy watched as the rogue disappeared in the distance, holding the ripped portion of her uniform close to her. She had never used that amount of power before, or even knew she had that amount of power before.

Gaia was also amazed, as she had never seen anyone do that to Sakar before, or display that level of power. It made her think that there was something different about this person. Something not quite human…

Urd came over to check on Belldandy. "You okay?" she asked.

Belldandy simply smiled. "Not really, but I will in a few minutes." Abruptly, her smile disappeared, and she pushed herself off the wall. "We can't let him escape-"  
"Whoa, sis! Hold it! You just blew him away with enough might to take this city out in one felled swoop! I don't think he's coming back for round two." Urd gave her sister a hug. "You don't have to worry about him."

"Not until he returns." Gaia stepped forward. "He will return, and next time, he will be ready for her. She surprised him, and he doesn't forgive, or forget being surprised."

Belldandy looked extremely annoyed. "I think we need to talk to Athena."

"I agree."

Gaia stared at them all. She didn't know what they were talking about. "Who are you people?" she asked.

Belldandy smiled. "We're just people who have an interest in stopping Sakar as much as you do." She did a bow, which was a little awkward while holding her torn uniform in one hand. "Perhaps we'll meet again," she added. "Good day."

And with that, Gaia, the spirit of the earth, watched as Belldandy, future goddess first class, walked away, surrounded by her team and family.

And she had the funny suspicion that she would see the young woman again.

_For nine long years, Sakar was silent. Yggdrasil maintained constant surveillance of the Earth, knowing that he was still out there, biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike._

_Young Linka grew up to be a beautiful young woman, extremely intelligent, and very conscious of the importance of nature for the survival of the human race. Her speed of understanding was rumored to be as fast as the wind, and it was believed that if she got a break, she would be able to make a name for herself in the medical profession._

_Her dreams stopped coming when it became apparent that there was nothing she could do anymore. She soon forgot about them, putting them aside as the dreams of a hard childhood, living in a town where death could come at any time._

_Then, her destiny came to her, in the form of a magic ring…_

_Belldandy soon achieved the rank of Goddess First Class, but did not take control of any Relief Offices. Instead, she simply had a desk job, going to Earth only when she got a phone call. It was on one of her relief missions that she met Keiichi Morisato, a young man from Nekomi. A month later, she gave a wish to a young lady, a wish that, in the future, would have very important consequences for Crystal Tokyo._

_The young boy became simply known in Heaven as the one who disappeared, as the entirety of the many Goddess Relief Offices combed the city for him. He was never found, and his file was never closed, passed on to newer goddesses, so that the search would continue, until a century had passed._

_The woman Belldandy found in the alleyway was taken to a local hospital, where she was diagnosed with a strange affliction. She was taken to the terminal sector, where she would live the rest of her days, tormented in her sleep, a little better than a mental vegetable when she was awake. The doctors kept up a constant vigil, trying out several experimental treatments to help, even tranquilizing her. Nothing worked. Sakar had seen to that._

_Finally though, the day of reckoning had arrived. The Sailor Scouts, Earth's greatest defenders, and the Digi-Destined, the Digital Worlds only line of defense, were sent to a parallel realm. With them gone, the planet was now vulnerable._

_However, it was also a time of great change. For a prophecy, handed down through the ages, began to pick up momentum as the days continued. And the Planeteers were at the epicenter of it._

_For the prophecy was directed to them._

_The prophecy of Fire and Wind._


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

_Present day, twelve hours after the Sailor Scouts and Digi-Destined's disappearance_

The first rays of daylight swept across the surface of the Western Hemisphere, reaching out to the people of the area with its warm caress. Everyone either groaned and turned in their beds, trying to remain in la-la land for a moment or two longer, or got up, ready to face life once more.

All around that portion of the world, businesses began preparing for another day of work. School students began a new school day at whatever institution they attended. Eco-Terrorists began concocting new plans to commit brutal acts against Nature, or to just make a great deal of money in the quickest, and most destructive possible way. In other words, business as usual for all concerned.

In a remote portion of the Caribbean, though, on an island not known to much of the world, a small team of environmentalists were still asleep, having had a very difficult mission the day before. As they usually did whenever they had had a difficult mission.

Well, most of them were asleep anyways.

Linka Ivanova, the Planeteer of Wind, was sitting on her bed, reading a book that she had picked up at a bookstore the other day. It was a very good story too, full of adventure, drama, and a romance between two people who were as different as night and day. She hadn't been able to put it down for long, which amused the other Planeteers to no end. After all, Linka with a book that wasn't a reference book, or one of historical significance, was considered impossible by any stretch of imagination.

It was really at the insistence of her friend Gi, who asked her to expand her horizons beyond the non-fiction stories she was used to, that Linka had purchased the story in the first place. She had resolved to read it once, then put in her closet, never to read it again. Now though, she was thinking that this may have been the best thing she had ever read. In fact, the two main characters reminded her of herself and Wheeler. One of them, a calm, rational, logical person who was serious about everything she did, and who liked a predictable feel to her life. The other, a headstrong, irrational, though brutally honest young man who radiated a strong effort at whatever he did, cared for everyone and everything around him, and was unpredictable. And, ironically, the woman fell in love with him, because he was never put off by her attitude. '_Just like me. Which reminds me, I had better get that lazy bug out of bed. It is his turn to make breakfast.'_

With a heavy sigh, she got out of bed, being very quiet so as not to disturb the others. It had been easy, as she had always been sneaking around the house back home. However, she knew for a fact that the others had much sharper hearing. A necessity because the island was always a target for Dr. Blight. And she wanted to surprise Wheeler.

With a silence that would have impressed the mouse, she made it to the Fire Planeteers door, knocking on it quietly. "Wheeler?" she called out quietly. "It is time to wake up, sleepyhead." She heard nothing in there, so she opened the door. What she saw in there came as a shock. Or rather, what she didn't see.

Wheeler wasn't in his bed. He wasn't even in his room.

It was unprecedented that Wheeler be out of bed at the crack of dawn. He was notorious for being the one the other Planeteers, namely her, had to drench with ice cold water when it was his week to cook breakfast. He was the also one of the sloppiest people she had ever met, which was dictated by the usual mess she saw on the floor of his room. However, Wheeler himself was not there.

"_Boshe moy,"_ Linka muttered. "What madness has taken over that Yankee for him to be up at this time? And where is he?" She started looking around the room for a moment, taking in every detail as she did so. "Hmmm, no sign of a struggle…he did not walk out the door, as he is not notorious for being quiet. So where…?"

Acting on a sudden hunch, she walked over to the window, and looked outside. She scanned the immediate area, looking for a familiar crop of red hair. And then, purely by dumb luck, she spotted him. "He's…outside? On a Saturday?" she asked herself. Now she was really curious.

With barely a second thought, she climbed out of Wheeler's window, and began walking over to where the young man in question stood.

----

The mind is considered by many to be one of the greatest machines ever conceived. It was the tool that kept a creature moving, breathing, and thinking. It was all that separated a sentient being like a human from a plant.

Wheeler Sloane was using his brain for something he rarely did when he was at rest; thinking. It was a feat, considering that he was not know as someone who thought a great deal. He was the type that did things on a whim, and let the wind take him wherever it went. He was not one to get a foothold on anything long term. The only thing he kept doing as a continuing presence in his life was his life as a Planeteer. He wouldn't trade it in for all the riches of the world.

However, the dream he had had last night was due cause for his being awake at Seven o'clock in the morning. He had never had a dream so vivid before in his life, and it was haunting him for some reason. He was certain that he hadn't seen anything like those images before. But he couldn't shake the feeling of deja-vu he had whenever he thought about it.

"Wheeler?"

Startled, Wheeler turned around to stare into a pair of the clearest set of blue eyes he had ever seen. The kind that made his insides run like jelly. "Morning, Linka. I didn't hear you walk up."

"I would think not," Linka replied, her arms folded around her chest, a small smile gracing her face. "You have never been up this early before." She paused a second. "Why _are_ you up this early?" she asked. "And dressed, for that matter?

Wheeler smiled a little. "I wanted to see the sunrise, for a change," he replied. "I mean, in all the time I've been living here, I've never really came out to appreciate a good sunrise. You really can't do it in the city, with all those buildings there." He looked at her. "What were sunrises like in your hometown, babeuoska?"

Linka had to smile, a little surprised by the question. Never before had Wheeler ever asked her how anything was in her hometown. While he may have been interested in him, he was always cautious when discussing her old home. In fact, this was a whole new side to him that she had never seen before. He seemed to be full of curiosity this morning. "Well, the sunrises were beautiful," she began, looking back into her memories. "They would come over the mountains, making them seem like they were on fire for a few glorious minutes. And it would make the snow, well, when we did have snow, shimmer like a field of sparkling jewels. It was enough to make the day seem more likable." She turned to Wheeler. "What about you? How did sunrises back home make you feel?"  
"Like shit." Wheeler felt a wave of sadness come over him as he said this. "Every day for me was a day of fighting, arguing, and simply living my life on the streets. You know my father drank a great deal, and we argued almost every single day. If it weren't for mom, I probably would've run away a long time ago. The sunrise only made me feel like the world didn't give a damn what happened to me, and only kept me around for the torment purposes."

"And then you met us," Linka finished. "Then you became a Planeteer. And everything changed."  
"Yeah. I found that I enjoyed this life, to the point that I didn't want to lose it. And in that same time, I began to understand you guys. And, of course, start to develop feelings for a certain female member of the team."

"Oh? Gi will be happy to hear this."

"I wasn't talking about Gi. And I thought she was starting to inquire about Kwame."

"Okay then. Gaia?"  
"A little old for me. I mean, she's what, Five Billion Years Old?"

"Actually," Gaia interrupted, "I'm Four Billion, Six Hundred Million and Two. But hey, who's counting?"

Wheeler turned around to stare at the spirit of the Earth as she walked up to them. "Question; Do you ever sleep?" he asked.

"Not particularly. I mean, I'm a spirit. Why would I need sleep?"  
Wheeler thought about it. "You raise an excellent point there," he finally stated. "I'm guessing you're out here for the sunrise too."

Gaia simply nodded. "The sunrise always gives me a feeling of peace every time I see it. And I have had to see many in recent weeks."

Wheeler had to agree with that. The Eco-Terrorists were starting to get more vicious with each passing week, this time, targeting areas of greater environmental importance. Hoggish Greedily had even tried getting an area near Yellowstone for his usual plan of getting rich quickly, and had been ready to begin a lumberjack company on the hills surrounding the National Park. And he had the permits to back it up, saying the area's around the ranching zone were not owned privately, or by the government. But Greedily knew that they were hills that, bereft of trees, would have produced a large runoff flood that would have spelled the end of every ranch in the area, and would have threatened a large portion of the wildlife.

Fortunately, Laura Talbot had gotten wind of that plot, and had managed to get a letter to them through another one of their friends, warning them of it. In fact, the mission they had just returned from had been from Yellowstone. And it had two good things come out of it. One, they had managed to stop Greedily's plot, with the help of Captain Planet and Laura. Two, Laura was going to be the first person outside of Gaia's friend from the homeless shelter to see Hope Island. It made Ma-Ti happy, and gave the others some teasing material. It also got them off of Wheeler's and Linka's backs for a while.

Gaia chuckled. "I'm actually wondering why you're so curious, and why you're up a seven o'clock in the morning."

Wheeler had to chuckle at that. "You women and your inquiries," he grumbled good naturedly. "Well, like I told Linka, I wanted to see the sunrise. That's all."  
Linka looked at him. "And exactly when were _you _up by?" she asked innocently, wanting some teasing material.

Wheeler hesitated. "About four," he finally mumbled. "Could you excuse me?" Without another word, he began walking down the surf, head down.

Linka stared at him, shock permeating her system. "Now I know something is wrong," she stated. "I mean, he is up early, then he asks me about something of my hometown, and now he just walks away, without even trying to flirt."

Gaia nodded. "It does seem strange. He's not acting like himself, or even remotely like himself. He's been asking the other Planeteers about little aspects of their all week, and isn't getting as angry when an animal goes and gets into his stuff. In fact, I saw him speaking softly to Suchi when he got into Wheeler's backpack. "

Linka nodded, then looked in Wheelers direction. "And now he is heading over to the kitchen area. I think he wants to get breakfast prepared. Whatever is going on?"

Gaia simply stared at Wheeler's retreating form. She had no idea, but whatever it was, it had spooked the Fire Planeteer so badly, it had led him to question himself. And she had a funny feeling that she should know why, but didn't.

Wheeler was almost to the door when he looked down. For the first time, he noticed, _really_ noticed, the fact that his shirt was partially tucked in, partially hanging out of his pants. With a grunt of disgust, thinking he must look like a slob, he finished tucking it in, then set about to gather what he would need to make breakfast. All that time, he was wondering why the other Planeteers had let him walk around like he was a drunk man all these years.

* * *

In a small building in the outer rim of Moscow, under the watchful stare of several guards set all around the building, a meeting took place. One that was the pinnacle of two thousand years of effort. And it would have far reaching consequences.

Peorth, Goddess First Class, and head of Yggdrasil, activated a holographic device. Immediately, a view of the Earth appeared in front of the assembled Gods and Goddesses, with areas dotted in red. She allowed them to grasp what they were seeing.

"These red dots confirm the last transmission of Anubis," she said, the weight of leadership already weighing on her young shoulders. "The Rogue has broken his pattern. His forces have begun to swell with new converts, and he has been spotted within the vicinity of New York City... again. I don't think I need to make the picture any clearer"  
A collective muttering came from the assembled group. "How many can he corrupt in a day?" one God asked.

Peorth accessed the information her team had collected. "Control estimates about a dozen. They're mostly homeless, so no one really misses them."  
"How many has he corrupted as of this moment?" another goddess threw out.

"Around two thousand already. Maybe more than we even know."

A collective muttering arose. Two _Thousand_ already? And they were just being told this? How did the Rogue manage to obtain so many of them without their knowledge?

"What about the information from Anubis?" Osiris asked. "It can't be accurate."

Peorth looked at him. "It may be."  
"It's not possible."

"It would mean that he's planning on attacking Gaia and Zarm soon, and taking out the last two beings capable of stopping him on this plain," Artemis stated, looking rather pale.

"That's right." Peorth was still keeping that calm expression. "And Gaia is not able to stand up to the Rogue alone."

"It can't be," a god's voice called through the crowd.

"Why not?"

Everyone's head turned around to see three Goddesses approaching. Peorth immediately recognized one of them as Athena, her former commanding officer, and now head of a group that was preparing to strike at the Rogue.

The other two however, gave Peorth pause.

One of the them was Urd, a Goddess who was presently on very shaky footing with the Supreme Council of Heaven, who was also one of the most knowledgeable on the situation with Belldandy and Keiichi Morisato. Which made Peorth and the other Goddesses a little happier, as the male population there was now ripe for the taking. Also, Urd being on Earth gave them an early warning should Vandrassil try anything stupid, like spark a war.

The other one, though, was Belldandy herself. That was enough to make Peorth realize how far the situation had deteriorated.

Now a Goddess First Class, she had remained in the Goddess Relief Office, when all the other members of her team had accepted positions in the main system. Peorth had heard, though, that she had undergone Templer combat training after the Rogue fiasco eleven years ago. Apparently, even Belldandy could hold a grudge. And she had turned the capture of the Rogue into an obsession, something Peorth once thought was impossible for such a kind-hearted Goddess. It made her sad to see hear this.

Athena spoke again. "A large number of fighters, capable of stopping the Spirit of Earth and the Spirit of Destruction, as well as the Planeteers, and their champion, Captain Planet. That sounds exactly like the thinking of Sakar to me."

Peorth inclined her head. "Athena, glad you could join us."

"Peorth." Athena turned to those assembled. "My apologies to all of you. As you are undoubtedly aware, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the network to move without Sakar noticing."

"His people have all the best spots."

"Human mainlines are crawling with his viruses, making it impossible to move without being detected."

"And if Peorth is right, in two weeks, he'll have an army ready for battle."  
Osiris looked rather annoyed. "So, what are we going to do about it?"  
"We're going to do what The Supreme Chancellor ordered us to do." Peorth deactivated the device. "We'll pull back as many of our people as possible and return to Heaven."

"And does the Supreme Chancellor have a plan for protecting the Planet Earth from a being like Sakar?" Athena asked pleasantly.

Peorth looked rather…grave about it. "A strategy is still being formulated," she replied, not believing it for a second. She didn't even know if there was strategy in Heaven or on Earth that could stnad up to the Death Dealer. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Belldandy speaking to Urd and Ceres for a second, then walk over to the stairwell. She turned back to Athena.

"I'm sure it is." The Goddess that Peorth had replaced as head of the system grimaced, as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. "If you want my opinion, I believe we should follow our orders," Athena continued. "However, I must ask one of you for help. Some of you believe as I do, some of you do not." She gave them all a powerful glance. "However, those of you who do know that we are nearing the time when Sakar will be stopped. The prophecy will be fulfilled soon, but before it can be, the two who will become Guardians must be found."  
Peorth managed to stifle a groan. Athena believed that mortals could stop the rogue, because they had proven that they could beat insurmountable odds. She was one of the biggest supporters of the Fire and Wind search, the very reason why her team of agents existed. Peorth thought all of it rubbish. After all, what could two humans do that the entire might of Heaven couldn't do in two thousand years?

"If we leave and give our report to the council now, we can be back within thirty-six hours. Long before the rogue begins to make his move."  
Ceres looked at her fellow goddess. "Do you realize what you're asking?" she asked in disbelief.

Athena nodded. "I am asking that a single goddess or god remain in our position, just in case the white wizard should attempt to contact us."

"You are asking one of us to disobey a direct order."  
"That's right, Ceres. I am. However, we are all here because of our…affinity for disobedience."

"And what happens when you return to the main city, and the chancellor throws you into the stockade?" Osiris asked.

"He won't."

For a moment, silence reigned. "Damn it, Athena," Urd said, looking rather amused. "You're never gonna change." She shrugged. "Shit, I'll do it just to see what Old Deadbolt does to you. You've got thirty-six hours."  
Peorth nodded. "Meeting adjourned." The wait would soon be over.

It was just a question of whether or not it would be in their favor.

----

Hermes sighed, unable to believe that he had managed to pulled guard duty out for this meeting. He was so bored! Next time, he was going to get a shift in the main floor in Yggdrasil. At least there, he could flirt with Ex and Ere.

He was about to get up and see if the meeting was over, but a sharp knock made him turn around in surprise. He looked at his fellow guard, Loki, then walked over to the door. Looking out the peephole, he saw a shadow outside. "Yes?"

"I'm looking for Belldandy."

Hermes looked surprised. Whoever this guy was, he knew enough about the Gods to ask for one of them personally. "Never heard of her," he replied, covering up his nervousness.

"I have something for her. A gift, if you will." The stranger pushed an envelope through the peephole. "You see, she set me free."

Now a little irritated, Hermes grabbed the envelope. "Fine, whatever. Now disappear." He snapped the porthole shut, before turning around.

"Who was that?" Belldandy asked, coming up the last few steps.

Loki looked over at her. "How'd you know someone was here?"

"Lucky guess."

Hermes walked forward. "He wanted to give you this," he said, handing it over to the first class Goddess. Curious, Belldandy took it, ripped it open, then turned it upside down.

Into her hand fell a single ring, wielding the heaven symbol of wind.

"He said you set him free," Hermes added.

Belldandy looked up sharply, her normal placid and gentle features hardening. '_He's here…'_

Loki looked at Hermes, then back at Belldandy. "Is everything all right, ma'am?" he asked tentatively.

Belldandy nodded, not turning around. "The meeting is over. Retreat to your exits." She looked up. "Agents are coming."

"Agents…?" A sudden punch against the door made them both look at the door in shock.

"Go!" Belldandy stood her ground as the other two obeyed her order, running out of the room. She was not afraid, and deactivated her earring, so as to have her full fighting strength ready.

The pounding became more insistent, denting the door more and more, until finally, it tore loose from it's hinges, falling to the ground with a dull thud. And in through the doorway strode three agents of the rogue.

Up until this point, Belldandy had never set her eyes on Sakar's agents. They wore armor similar to his, though theirs were not decorated with anything fancy. Also, they wore some kind of visor over their eyes, making them seem like spies from another world. And all of them were emotionless.

"How are you all today?" Belldandy asked pleasantly.

"It's her-"

"-the goddess."  
"Do we proceed?"  
"Yes."

"After all, she is still-"

"-only human."  
All three of them talked in synch, making it seem like they were all thinking on the same wavelength. It grated on Belldandy's nerves.

One of them stepped forward, immediately going for a roundhouse kick, which Belldandy dodged. He went on a strong offensive, striking out with fists and feet, feeling his opponents defenses.

Belldandy blocked each and every one of those blows, never taking her eyes off her adversary. Finally, she caught one of the agents fists. The agent looked at her in surprise.

"Hmmm." Belldandy give a little smile. "Not bad." She was going to enjoy this.

Immediately, the other two moved in, creating a three way attack that would have crushed another, lesser being. Belldandy found herself a little more hard pressed to defend herself, but defend she did. Then she launched an offensive of her own, knocking two of them in opposite directions.

The third one continued his attack, grabbing her by her arm, and tossing her. She reacted by grabbing a pole that was acting like a brace for the building. She whirled around, catching the agent as he jumped up with her feet. The agent flew through the air, slamming into the far wall. He slid to the floor, motionless.

Belldandy immediately blocked a punch from another one, kicked him, then used him to do a spin, kicking another one into another wall. Finally, she back flipped outside, and simply punched the last one into an old, obsolete lamppost. It broke in half, conking the unconscious agent in the head. The glass fell to the ground, shattering on the concrete.

Belldandy looked around, checking to see if there were any other agents in the area. Satisfied, she reactivated her earring. Then, she concentrated.

A small shockwave went outward, until finally, she practically leaped upward, flying at near-super sonic speed into the sky.

Sakar watched in amazement as the Goddess flew out of sight. '_Apparently, she has been preparing for our second meeting. She is not as weak as I thought she was.'_ "That went as expected," he said aloud.

"Yes," A voice in the shadows acknowledged.

"It's happening exactly as before the prophecy."

"Well, not exactly."

Sakar grinned wickedly.

* * *

Peorth stepped into the main area of Yggdrasil, adjusting her uniform top slightly. "Chrono, what happened?" she called out.

Chrono worked her harp-like interface like the instrument it took after, punching in the inquiries that were a part of her everyday job. "I don't know what to make of it. The Rogue's agents just came out of nowhere. Then, I got a strange energy surge coming from the Caribbean. A pattern I've never seen before."

"Is Belldandy okay?"

"Okay!? Gods, Peorth, you should have seen her!"  
Ceres stepped up. "Where is she now?"  
Chrono typed the command in, then said, "She's doing a Superman thing."

* * *

Above the eyes of the humans, invisible to even the military's most advanced satellite systems, Belldandy flew.

She flew at a speed that would have made the Peregrine Falcon seem like a turtle. Her eyes continuously scanned the ground, looking for something. Something familiar. A place that held great significance to her. Finding it, she came to a complete stop.

There, for a few seconds, the Goddess Belldandy remained suspended in mid air, her gaze focusing on her objective. Then, with a simple nudge in the winds, she took off like a cannon shot towards the ground. Her departure from that part of the sky caused a minor funnel to form for a second as the clouds all gathered in the morning air. Belldandy ignored all of this, so intent on her objective.

She touched down in an alleyway, a few blocks from a condemned building, and began walking. As she did so, her goddess battle uniform dispersed, becoming a pair of jeans and a white blouse. It was second nature for her now, so she didn't pay too much attention. After all, when one lived with a human, one got used to doing things in a certain way.

As she walked the streets of New York, she looked for one particular alley way. Ever since that night, she had come back once a year, to see that area, to remember what had happened all those years ago.

Every step brought the painful memories back to her, one by one. The burning building, the Rogue, what he had done to that woman, what he had almost done to her. It marked the only being on the Earth that she actually hated. It was…unsettling to her.

Finally, she reached the point where she had seen Sakar last. Where she had met Gaia, and where everything changed.

For a moment, she stood there, head bowed in sorrow for the woman she could not help.

As she picked her head up, she saw something out of the corner of her eye as she bent down. Curious, she turned to see what it was.

It was a plain white envelope, with her name written on it. She pulled it off, opened it up, and removed the letter contained within.

_Was it good for you too, Belldandy?_

The Goddess' s cry of rage and pain briefly quieted the city of New York, as the entire population looked around in amazement.

She was tired of waiting for Sakar to come after her. She was tired containing her anger. She was tired of being helpless.

It was time for things to change.

* * *

The first thing Kwame noted when he and the other two Planeteers walked into the kitchen was Wheeler standing over the stove, looking very much awake. The second thing they noticed was Linka was watching him, an unreadable expression on her face.

"Morning, guys." Ma-Ti yawned. "So I am going to assume we didn't walk in on anything?"

"Nope," Wheeler replied distantly. "Little Mermaid, could ya get some plates down please? I can't leave the pan…"

"Sure."

As Gi went over to the plate cupboard, Ma-Ti and Kwame sidled up to Linka. "So, what is going on?" Ma-Ti asked, smiling slightly.

"Nothing." Linka didn't even turn to look at them as she said this. "He was up since four this morning. I did not even wake him."

Kwame turned to stare at her in amazement. "He was up at _four!?_" Linka nodded. "Any idea why?"

"_Nyet_."

"Ummm, Gi? The plates on the table, please?" Wheeler called out.

"Oh! Sorry, Wheeler." Gi went over to the table with the plates. "So, are you going to tell us what's going on?"

Linka looked up. "I honestly do not know. I found him outside, enjoying the sunrise. He even asked me how sunrises made _me_ feel." She looked up. "I will let you ask him what is going on," she whispered. "Right now, I am hungry."

Wheeler plopped several pancakes onto each plate. "All right guys, dig in! And hope that I haven't poisoned them…"

The others laughed at this, and dug in, enjoying the peace that was their morning ritual. So far, Gaia had not seen any need to disturb them while they ate. For that, they were grateful.

Finally, as the other Planeteers went to get dressed, Gaia entered the kitchen to find the Fire Planeteer putting the frying pan into the sink to soak. "So, I see you haven't poisoned anyone today," she said by way of greeting.

Wheeler grinned. "Well, there's always a chance of that happening on any given day. And somehow, I don't think you came here to talk about my cooking."  
"No, I did not. I came to ask you if there was anything you wanted to talk about." Wheeler didn't turn around, but Gaia noticed the muscles of his back going taut. "I won't tell the others, if that's what you're worried about."

Wheeler shook his head. He suddenly stopped what he doing. "I'll eventually tell you guys, but I want to figure out exactly what I'm dealing with first, before I cause any more worry."

'_So he's felt our eyes on him. He's becoming very attuned with his surrounding environment.' _A wistful smile tugged her lips. '_If the he had survived, he's probably acting the same way.'_ "Well, you better get the Geo-Cruiser prepped for launch. That way, Ma-Ti can finally stop jumping all over the place with nerves."

Wheeler chuckled. "Yes, ma'am."

Several minutes later, the Geo-Cruiser took off from the landing platform, with Kwame and Gi laughing at the way Ma-Ti was fidgeting, Linka in the pilots seat, concentrating on flying the little plane, and Wheeler being uncharacteristically quiet in the co-pilots seat, lost in thought.

"_What is bothering you, Wheeler?"_ Ma-Ti asked telepathically.

Wheeler grinned. "_Trying to screen out the matchmaker? You know she's persistent as hell. I mean, she's still trying to hook me and Linka up."_

"_You have done this before, I see. Well, there are two reasons. The first one is, as you say, I'm trying to screen out Gi AND Kwame. The second is that I can see something is wrong, and thought perhaps you want to talk about it."_

Wheeler chuckled. "_You're persistent too, ya know that? In fact, something is bothering me, and damned if I know what it is."_ He could feel his friends curiosity. "_I'll tell you all later, after I've figured it out for myself, and know what I'm talking about. And, besides, you've got enough to worry enough anyways. So, muster your charm, buddy, because you have a girlfriend to see!"_ Wheeler chuckled as he knew that Ma-Ti was blushing. "_Come on, you didn't expect us to leave you alone about this, did you?"_

Ma-Ti did not speak for the rest of the flight.

* * *

Laura checked to see if she had everything she needed for the umpteenth time, looking around as she did so. She knew she was doing it out of a case of nerves, and she even had a good idea as to why. The why brought a faint blush to her cheeks, and made her grin idiotically. After all, the last eco-disaster-in-the-works was the first time that she had seen Ma-Ti in years, and she was extremely happy because of it.

The first time she had seen him, he and his fellow Planeteers had come to Yellowstone to uncover the mystery of why the cattle on the ranchers properties were being killed. Everyone except Laura believed that it was a pack of wolves, the pack recently brought in by the Friends of Wolves organization. Instead, it turned out to be a plot by Lootin Plunder, an scrupulous business tycoon who had no problem with destroying a creature that had once been indigenous to the Park, if only to advance his own pockets full of money. And, like the more recent attempt, Laura had had a hand in stopping it. Then, for a few days, she and Ma-Ti had set about becoming good friends. However, time was too short, and their jobs did not give them any time to become closer, as she was working full-time on the ranch, as well as home-school lessons, and Ma-Ti was busy as a Planeteer. All in all, a hell of a way to stop a relationship in it's track.

Now though, Laura could try to build on their friendship, to get to know the young man who had captured her heart so completely.

"Hey, Laura! One of the males has a strange sickness that's making him sing 'Yankee Doodle' with a Russian accent!"  
Laura looked out the window. "Then knock him out, Dad! It always works!" she shouted laughingly. "But I'm guessing that that's not the reason you called out from underneath my window?"  
Mr. Talbot only grinned, not replying. Instead, he looked over in the opposite direction of the house. Curious, Laura looked up. And smiled in delight. Grabbing her coat, she practically flew down the stairs and out of the door.

The Geo Cruiser touched down on the ground, and Linka went through the systematic shutdown of the plane's functions, keeping it in standby mode. She noted that Ma-Ti had immediately jumped out, and began jogging in the direction of the house, grinning like an idiot. Not that any of the Planeteers could blame him. He didn't want to be alone when the teasing began anew, and he really wanted to see Laura.

Wheeler had a good guess that Ma-Ti and Laura were going to become a couple before him and Linka. Not that he was complaining…much.

As if to punctuate that thought, Laura Talbot sprinted out of the door at warp speed, heading in Ma-Ti's direction, with the same smile on her face. The other four Planeteers laughed as they saw Ma-Ti pick up his pace.

Laura slammed into Ma-Ti with enough force to stagger him, giving him a willowy bear hug. "Oh, it's so good to see you, Ma-Ti!" she exclaimed. "I mean, you never call, you never write."  
"It is difficult to when you have no phones, and I have been a little busy."

"'A little busy' he says." Laura shook her head in mock exasperation. "What am I going to do with you?"

"Hey, don't kill him yet! We want to tease him some more!" Wheeler shouted, ignoring the elbow Linka gave him.

Ma-Ti groaned. "This is what we will have to worry about the entire time we're in the plane. So I suggest you start praying they forgot."

Laura gave him a sympathetic look. "So, you've been getting it too?"

"Oh, yes."

Mr. Talbot chuckled. "All the other kids here have been teasin' her bout you for several weeks now. I reckoned it was only a matter of time before she went crazy. And all I've heard out of her were little references of-"  
"_Dad!!!_" Laura shrieked, becoming redder than a cherry. Everyone else laughed, knowing what Mr. Talbot was talking about. They _had_ been ribbing Ma-Ti about the same thing for several days.

Laura went back in the direction of her house, hand in hand with Ma-Ti. She wanted to show him some of the books she owned. She knew that Ma-Ti was a decent reader, and that he was curious about everything. She was also going to get her duffel bag, which included shorts, and T-Shirts. She also had a bathing suit, and some sun screen. She was not coming back a red lobster.

Wheeler sidled up to Mr. Talbot. So, have any problems with the wolves?" he asked, serious.

"Nope. They've stayed away from the herds, though I've caught them under Laura's window from time to time, especially over the last couple of weeks."

"They do not do anything?" Kwame asked, surprised.

Mr. Talbot nodded. "It looks like their standing guard. They don't move all night. One stays up, the other goes to sleep, then they shift in the middle."

Gi looked out to the back. "And they're leaving right now. Like they know that she's going to be safe now. That is strange."

She would have said more, but Wheeler elbowed her. "They're back," he whispered. "I'm guessing Laura doesn't know."

"Not really. At least, I don't think she does."  
"Come on, guys!" Linka shouted from the Geo-Cruiser. "You have to pilot, Yankee!"

"I'm a Yankee too, Linka!" Laura shouted.

"Not you! That Yankee!"  
"Ah!"

Wheeler shook his head. "Did you know the amount of teasing I've had involving myself and Linka is as bad as the teasing involving your daughter and Ma-Ti?"

Mr. Talbot chuckled. "I can imagine. Now, you all better get going. I think Laura wants to see your home…among other things."

"Good point."

Laura said her good byes to the others on the ranch, waved to her dad, then boarded the small yellow plane with Ma-Ti. Wheeler and Kwame boarded next, and finally, Gi and Linka. "Everybody aboard?" Wheeler asked. Five affirmatives rang out. "All right then, prepare for take off."  
With a roar, the Geo-Cruiser took off vertically, it's bottom thrusters glowing a bright white. Then the main engines kicked in, launching the Geo Cruiser forward. Wheeler made one minor course correction, then settled back, switching it to auto-pilot, and relaxed. After all, what was going to happen? No one was going to follow them.

----

The Geo Cruiser was being followed.

The pilot had been wondering when the Spirit of Earth's lackey's were going to show up. He had been watching the human's domicile for several weeks, observing her daily habits. He was disgusted by the primitiveness of these people, but also understanding that they had progressed much faster in the realm of technology and ethnic behavior than any advanced species would have thought possible. But they still had to grow their food, and they still believed themselves to be alone in the universe.

'_They do not know the meaning of the word alone. And these…five…are worse than the others. Though I should not be surprised. After all, those who willingly serve the spirits are traitors anyways.'_

He let his hatred for the spirits carry him, sustain him, then follow through his mission; Remove the servants of the spirits from the fold. Without the champions of this world, they were no threat.

Activating his engines, he took off in pursuit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

In a place as vast as existence, there are infinite realms upon infinite realms. One realm would be a realm of destruction, another of growth. There were realms that had beings who were so advanced, they were considered Gods among men. In other, life was just beginning to stir from the primordial ooze, aided by unseen forces.

However, the majority of these realms were simply parallel dimensions from our own, some simply following different paths, others following the same path, only through different means. A perfect example of the paradox theory.

It is in one of these parallel realms where another part of this drama will unfold. Where mighty starships fly through space, exploring the vast Milky Way Galaxy. Where not even the sky is the limit.

Where a vessel named in a way that personified humanity's desire to learn all that is learnable, and even some things that aren't learnable.

A vessel named…_Enterprise._

_

* * *

_

**Realm 6004**

_Captain's Star Log, April Fifth, 2154_

_The Enterprise is now approaching the center of the expanse, following the homing signal that we managed to get aboard a Xindi transport ship almost a week ago. As we continue to follow at a safe distance, I can't help but wonder, will we be able to stop the Xindi from finishing, and deploying, their weapon against Earth? I certainly hope so. Otherwise, humanity might become an endangered species, and this Federation that I have heard of in passing in the future may not come to pass._

Captain Jonathan Archer deactivated his Captain's Log, breathing out as he did so. He had been in command of the _Enterprise_ for almost three years now, and yet, it seemed like he had been put in charge thirty years before. And it wasn't simply a exploration vessel anymore. It had become Earth's last hope for survival. And they had not accomplished that much in seven months.

Archer sighed. Seven months in the expanse, seven months out in unknown space. Alone in an area of space that was completely sealed off from the rest of the galaxy by a rift of some kind. It was extremely…overwhelming sometimes. Crew morale was a constant battle to maintain, but so far, they had done rather well. Even the Mako's had had a hand in that, setting up tournaments like poker to help ease the tension. Movie night had become mandatory for the crew. Still, it was a struggle. And he was almost at his wits end about this.

A chime at his door broke through his thoughts. "Come," he called out, already knowing who it was on the other side.

Sure enough, Sub-commander T-Pol entered his ready room, back straight, hands clasped behind her back. A Vulcan to the core, she had taken some time to getting used to. However, the crew had warmed up to her rather effectively, and she had slowly relaxed as she got to know the mostly human crew. Now she was one of the most reliable, and loyal, members of his senior staff to serve aboard his ship. And for that, Archer was grateful.

For now, he simply asked, "What can I do for you, T-Pol?"

For a moment, the Sub-Commander was silent, collecting her thoughts. "Mr. Reed has detected a large energy anomaly about several light years from our position. It seems to be interfering with the sensor's. We have begun losing the beacons signal."

Archer groaned. His days were tough enough as it was. This added a whole new factor to the problem. "Is there anything he can do to boost?" he asked.

"He is already at full strength, but it doesn't seem to be effective. The energy field is simply…impeding the sensor grid to a certain point. And it seems to span about several thousand kilometers. I thought you'd want to know."

Archer nodded. Something powerful enough to disrupt sensors for several thousand kilometers could also mean a Xindi force was there, waiting to attack _Enterprise_. It was no secret that the Xindi knew that _Enterprise _was here to stop them. He got up, and walked to the communications system. "Malcolm, go to battle stations. Polarize the hull plating, and stand by on weapons."

"_Aye, sir."_ Reed's British accent cut off. Archer headed for the door. "Let's head for the bridge, and see what's out there."

T-Pol nodded, following him out.

Several minutes later, the two stepped off the turbo lift onto the bridge. Archer headed for his chair while T-Pol stepped up to her science station. "Mayweather, set course for the energy disturbance, Warp One," Archer ordered.

"Aye, sir. Warp One." The space boomers hands manipulated the controls, so familiar to him after three years at helm. "We'll arrive in about two minutes."

Archer nodded, then sat back. In two minutes, they would know what they were dealing with.

With a graceful turn, _Enterprise _accelerated to warp speed, it's engines glowing with power. The power to bend the rules of Einstein's universe. The power to go faster than light.

Unknowingly, heading for something that would prove far more important than they had originally thought.

Malcolm Reed's voice asked the question that was on all of their minds in that particular moment. He was the only one who would say it aloud. "What in the name of Hell is that?"

What Reed was referring to was a large expanse of white, seemingly fluctuating in the emptiness of space. It blotted out the stars around it, making it seem like it was a black hole of some kind. However, no black hole ever look like this.

After all, when was the last time a black hole glowed?

"What do you make of it?" Archer asked quietly.

T-Pol analyzed it. "For some odd reason, our sensor's are not affected by it if we scan it. However, if we attempt to scan outside of the anomaly's range, the sensors suddenly pick up interference on all of the frequencies." She looked perplexed, as only a Vulcan can be. "It is almost like…a gateway of some kind."

"You mean, like a wormhole," Ensign Hoshi Sato spoke up from her communication station.

T-Pol gave her a steady gaze. "I don't think that a wormhole, if they even exist, would generate the type of interference this anomaly creates. If I could take a guess…"  
"Consider it an order."

"…then I would theorize that it is a door of some kind. Not unlike Ensign Sato's 'wormholes.'" She looked back at her sensor grid. "I will need several more hours to complete a full scan of the anomaly in order to give you a more accurate description."

"Several hours that we can't afford to waste." Archer sat up straighter in his chair. "We need to continue on our mission, and we don't have time to do any scientific studies-" The _Enterprise _shook. "What was that?" he demanded.

"Some kind of energy field from the anomaly, Captain. It's interfering with our thrusters."

"Lieutenant?"

Mayweather tried to correct, but it seemed no matter what, he couldn't stop it from happening. "I can't maintain our position, sir. Thrusters aren't strong enough."

Archer realized what that meant. "We're being pulled in. All engines, full reverse!" He braced himself.

For a few moments, the mighty starship and the rift fought in a contest of power. Archer felt the entire infrastructure shake, and he held on for dear life.

"It's not helping sir!" Mayweather shouted. "We're still being pulled in!"  
Archer nodded. "All right then, let's take a risk. Go to warp, now!"

"No can do, Cap'n!"

Archer turned around. "What do you mean, Trip?" he asked.

Commander Charlie 'Trip' Tucker staggered away from the turbo lift, obviously having just arrived. "Whatever that thing is, it's wreaking havoc on the intermix formula! We couldn't create a stable warp field now even if we wanted to!"  
The Captain back around to stare at the screen, knowing now that there was nothing he could do at that particular moment. "Cut the engines. No sense burning them out." Mayweather complied. "All hands, brace for impact!" Archer shouted as the anomaly filled the screen.  
With that, the Starship _Enterprise_ fell into the rift, a rift that glowed a bright white.

Nothing happened. The impact never came. Archer stared at the screen in amazement.

"Fascinating," T-Pol commented, the closest she ever came to voicing her awe.

What they all saw was…absolutely overwhelming.

They had entered a quantum space field, something that looked suspiciously like a corridor. It's sides seemed to be filled with what looked like screens, images playing off on those screens at a normal pace. However, _Enterprise_ was going by so fast that most the images were not even noticed.

"T-Pol?" Archer queried, not saying anything else. Not that anything else needed to be said.

T-Pol consulted her scanners. "It appears to be a corridor of some kind," she reported. "But as to where we are…I have no logical answer. I think we may be in a dimensional rift of some kind. I can't be any more accurate." She looked up. "I also think we're approaching something."

Archer, indeed, the entire bridge crew, stared at the screen, as T-Pol never used the word _something_ lightly. What they saw made it the highlight of their day.

Spinning in a tight circle, ten bright white spheres rotated around and around, almost like planets around a sun. Some type pf energy field was intersecting them, forming what seemed like a barrier of some kind. In the center, there laid a center realm, which seemed to hold it's position while all around it fluxed and changed. _Enterprise_, he noted, was heading for one of the outside circle. "Guess we're going to find out where this goes," he said lightly, sitting back in his chair. His curiosity of what was transpiring had overtaken his concern for his ship and crew, now that he knew that there was no threat. He was now wondering what was going on.

He wasn't the only one.

* * *

**Realm 2**

Ex groaned, shifting in her chair one more time, trying to relieve the pressure on her back. It didn't help. She looked around, envying everyone else around her.

All around her, her fellow gods and goddesses continued their work, floating around, walking back to their stations, or getting off shift. They were all happy, and had chairs that were built for them.

Ex shifted again, grumbling under her breath. She was going to have to start bringing a pillow of some kind to work. This chair was killing her back. If she sat in a chair of a similar design on Earth, she wouldn't have this type of problem. Here, though, was an entirely different manner.

She was thinking about getting up, going on break, and asking Peorth for a pass so she could get a new seat installed, when something on the main screen caught the corner of her eye. Lifting her head up, rubbing her back fretfully as she did so, she checked to see what it was. She immediately sat up, back pains forgotten as she began analyzing the information. "Peorth!"

Peorth walked back over to her, looking concerned. "Do we have confirmation of the Rogue's whereabouts?" she asked.

"No, but I just picked up something in the dimensional void, heading in this direction." She tapped a few more commands in, and changed the angle view. "It looks like it's out of control, like it got pulled through some type of extremely powerful rift."

Peorth leaned over her shoulder. "Do we have identification on it? Is it from the future?"

"No, it doesn't look like it's from the future. If anything, I'd say it's from a dimension from the outer rim of existence."

Peorth nodded. "All right. Well, keep an eye on it. The last thing we need is a group of rogue spirits with-" An alarm began sounding off. "What the in the name of the almighty is it?" she demanded irritably.

Ex saw Ere tapping commands into her console, then watched as her face went pale. "Satellite Four has just picked up an approaching Sunak battle cruiser. They will be in orbit of the Earth in approximately four minutes."

Peorth nodded again. She did that a lot when she had multiple things to deal with. And this was not unexpected. They had all been wondering when they were going to show up. "What about our mystery guests? When will they punch through to our realm?"  
Ex consulted her terminal. "Around the same time span," she reported.

"That'll make things interesting," Chrono threw in from her console.

"Indeed." Peorth made a quick decision. "All right," she said. "Aphrodite, could you please inform the Supreme Council that we have both a Beta- dimension shift emergency and an Omega Alert? I'm going to send four of our people down to scout the situation on Earth."  
"You got it."

"Ex, I want you to continue monitoring the situation. If it escalates, don't hesitate to use my authorization codes to power up the defenses. You're in command until my relief gets here."

"Yes ma'am…what exactly am I supposed to do?"

Peorth thought long and hard. "You'll think of something," she finally replied. "Just…sit in this chair. I'll get you a new one, so your back can be a little happier."  
"Thank you," Ex practically gushed.

Peorth walked out of the control room, smiling a bit as she did so. She didn't tell Ex that she was at the very console that Peorth had used up until recently, when she had been promoted.

Ex sat down in the main chair, feeling infinitely better, her back appreciating it. And she watched the main screen with the look of someone who didn't want to miss anything that was going on.

After all, when was the last time anyone in their universe had a chance to witness a space battle?

----

The Sunak Battle Cruiser Commander sat back in his chair, feeling smug. He was smug because there was no way the day could become any better, in his opinion. Centuries of death and destruction were about to be avenged in the course of two Earth weeks.

The Praetor's plan had been perfect. The Sailor Soldiers and those 'Digi-Destined' people had been sent to a backwater little realm to rot, and the Spirits servants would soon be out of the way. Then, the Sunak would remove the spirits from the universe, and have their vengeance. No matter if the species currently living on that miserable world didn't survive. After all, if they didn't know, or if they served those beings, then they didn't deserve to live.

"We are in position above their orbital defense satellites," his first said. A different species than his, almost human in appearance except for several slits on her arms, she had one thing in common with the Sunak, as did all the members of his crew. She was the descendent of a survivor of the Spirit Sakar, the Death Dealer. Since then , she followed her peoples vow of vengeance, and joined the ever growing Sunak Confederation War Fleet.

"Excellent." He turned to his tactical officer. "Are weapons primed?" he asked.

The Tactical Officer, a being with a horned bill for a mouth, checked his displays one more time, then clicked off in a series of soft hoots. The Commander remembered that meant yes. "Perfect. Shall we give these humans an early warning, Sheeyal?"

Sheeyal grinned. "I believe so, Lord Karken."

Karken, commander of the Sunak Confederation Battle Ship _Crusher, _said only one more word.

"Fire."

----

Captain Robert Anderson walked into the army section of Pentagon at the beginning of his shift, he had the faintest sense of doom permeating his system. He didn't know why he was feeling this way, but he had a feeling something bad was going to happen on this day. 

"Sir, here is today's duty roster."

"Thank you, Lieutenant Rogers." Anderson signed off, the feeling intensifying. "By the way, did you see the game yesterday?"

"Very painful, sir. I don't think the Eagles are going to fly anymore."

"No, I guess not." Rogers sighed. "Well, so much for that. Well, I better get back to work. See you-"

"Sir!"

Both of them turned around. "Yes Corporal?"

"We have multiple bogies breaching the atmosphere!" The corporal looked up to his commanding officer. "It's not space junk, and it isn't any of the existing satellites in orbit! Maybe one of the Russian defense satellites has a malfunction!"  
"Well, until you definitive confirmation as to what it is, call General Walsh! We need to go to DEFCON Three!"  
"Yes, sir!"

"Lieutenant, get me trajectories! Where are they heading?"

"Let's see…they'll hit Houston, a small area in Brazil, multiple targets in Asia and Europe, and the Capital of Russia!"

Anderson did a quick analysis of the situation. It could be a cairn of rocks, knocked out of the asteroid belt, but it didn't feel right. It felt more like…it was deliberate.

Like a computer program set on automatic, the conclusion hit Anderson like a ton of bricks. The feeling he was having now made sense.

Looks like Earth wasn't alone in the universe after all. He wished it was though.

----

The first torpedoes struck Moscow, slamming into the old vacant parliament building. It was promptly destroyed, as these things usually do, and created a small crater at the impact zone. Thirty people were killed, all of them walking by at the time.

In Houston, about fifty people died, another four hundred injured because of falling debris, or fender benders. The Reliant Astrodome promptly obtained a new sun roof.

Brazil had a massive forest fire caused by the simultaneous impact of four torpedoes. However, the South American continent was in the verge of a massive storm, so the damage was not as serious as it could have been. However, hundreds of acres were destroyed in the resultant forest fire.

Area's in Europe and Asia were utterly destroyed. Nomads began praying to their respective gods for deliverance. Farmers cowered in fear, believing that the End had finally arrived.

All over the world, the Sunak's assault struck at various points, some areas full of innocent civilians, others just areas that were to say, we can find you anywhere.

The Sunak crew enjoyed the wanton destruction, secure in the knowledge that there was no way humanity could stop them, and that the Planeteers were going to have their hands full should they interfere to stop the fires.

Then humanity gave them a swift kick in the ass.

"Portal opening!" Karken's tactical officer shouted.

Karken turned around. "Visual!" Instantly, the screen shifted to a new angle. "What the _hakenses_ is that!?"

---

With nothing to let them know that they had just gone through the pathways of existence, _Enterprise_ re-entered normal space, .

"Report."

"Hull Plating still at maximum, all sensor's are still on line. Main power is holding." T-Pol looked up. "It would appear that our sensor array is fully operational now."

"Communication grid is operational, and at optimum efficiency," Sato reported. "All decks reporting in."

"Our engines are fine, Cap'n." Tucker took another look. "I'm goin' back down to main engineering to do a physical inspection of all the plasma conduits."

"Controls are steady. Thrusters are working according to specifications." Mayweather looked confused. "It's as if nothing happened."

"Captain."

Archer looked at the screen. And promptly looked like he had seen something he did not think he would see. Which of course, is the truth. "T-Pol, please tell me that isn't Earth I'm seeing on the main screen."

"I'm afraid that I can't. The landmasses are the same. However, by the amount of pollutants in the atmosphere, I would estimate that we have arrived at a time in the late twentieth century."

Archer nodded. "I can imagine, seeing as how I don't recall the twenty second century having any space junk left in orbit."

Indeed, they noticed an almost invisible ring of debris from the various rocket's and shuttle launches of the era forming a nearly invisible ring around the planet.

He was about to ask T-Pol to scan the planet, when he saw something at the edge of the screen. "T-Pol, what was that flash of light?"

The Vulcan Science Officer almost asked what he was talking about, when another flash appeared. She scanned the area. "It appears to be weapons fire," she reported. "I'm also detecting a vessel in high orbit."

Sato looked up. "Sir, we are being hailed."

"Put it through." When Sato nodded that he could speak, he said, "This is Captain Jonathan Archer of the _Starship Enterprise._"

"_What are humans doing with warp capable space craft?" _A harsh voice erupted. "_You are no where near that technological level!"_

Archer blinked. He hadn't expected the alien spacecraft to know the term humans. And he was speaking English, with no help from a translator. That unto itself was surprising. "We aren't exactly from around from this…neck of the woods. To whom are we speaking?"

_Commander Karken of the Sunak battle cruiser _Crusher_."_

Archer looked at T-Pol. "Do you think the people on this Earth believe in extraterrestrials?"

"If they didn't before," she answered, "They do now. And probably will not trust them."

He nodded, then turned back to the conversation at hand. "Why are you firing on the planet beneath you?" he asked.

"_Do not bother trying to phrase your questions, human!"_ the voice barked. "_We know this planet is called Earth! We know you humans are indigenous to Earth! And to answer your question, we plan to destroy Earth! Are there any more obvious questions you care to ask?"_

Reed winced. "Obviously, they haven't heard of showing manners, or making small talk," he noted.

"Commander Karken," Archer attempted. "I honestly don't understand why you're are firing on a planet that can't defend itself, but whatever your grievances are, I'm sure-"

"_How about I put it in words that you humans can understand,_ paheys_? If you interfere, _Enterprise_, we'll blow you out of orbit!"_ With that, they cut communications. In all that time, the _Crusher _continued to fire, not breaking stride.

Archer shook his head. "Sorry," he said, though he knew that they couldn't hear him anymore. "We can't do that. Mr. Mayweather, take us in."

"Aye, sir."

"Malcolm, target the _Crusher_. Prepare to fire phasers. Load photon torpedoes tubes."

"Understood, sir."

"Engineering?"

"_Yeah, Cap'n?"_

"How are the engines?"

"_They're at optimal efficiency. I can't tell you if all the circuitry is okay, but I can give full power if you need it."_

"We need it."

"_All right. Give me a second."_

"T-Pol, initiate a sensor sweep of the rest of the immediate area. I want to know if there are anymore of these Sunak vessels in this area of space."  
"Aye, sir."

----

"Sir, _Enterprise_ is on an intercept course."

Karken shook his head. "Why am I not surprised?" he mumbled. "These humans are uncharacteristically attached to their planet. Why shouldn't they defend it?"  
Sheeyal sighed, shaking her head. "Well, we might as well send a torpedo at them. The structure is rather crude after all. It will be destroyed in one shot."

"Excellent point. _Gr'sr,_ fire on the approaching nuisance."  
A series of clicks murmured an affirmative.

Instantly, one torpedo was set on course. Karken smiled, knowing that the human vessel was doomed.

Then he was proven wrong.

Twin beams of light shot from underneath the _Enterprise_, apparently unleashed at the same time as their projectile. It intersected with it, and blasted it to smithereens. A brilliant halo appeared for a moment before dissipating.

Karken's shock did the same exact thing. "Where did they get phasers?" he roared. Then he remembered something that the human in charge of the starship had said. _Not from this neck of the woods._ He put two and two again. "Bring us about! Our plans mean nothing if there is a vessel that can match us! Target and fire!"

His crew moved with a coordination that would have made any captain of any vessel proud. They would destroy those who opposed them, who would try to stop their plans of revenge.

----

In the echelons of space, two objects shifted.

The Sunak battle cruiser _Crusher_ shifted it's aim, releasing a deluge of disruptors and torpedoes. It was an attack that could destroy weaker ships.

_Enterprise_ took the beating, then released it's own arsenal upon the Sunak cruiser. Karken's ship took the beating just as well, and for a moment, time stood still, as both Captains got tactical and vessel information from their weapon and science officers.

Karken's vessel had slightly better hull plating, and weaponry. It was slow at sub-light speed, though. Designed as a heavy hitter, it didn't have the finesse to target properly.

Archer's vessel had maneuverability on it's side, and while having the weaker of the two in terms of weapons and defenses, it wasn't that much of a weakness. The ship itself was constructed with the best of intentions, but also prepared for the worst of situations.

The result of this was extremely simple. They were evenly matched.

_Enterprise _bobbed and weaved under the control of Mayweather, firing under the exquisite care and precision of Malcolm Reed. Torpedoes struck at every key point of the _Crusher_, eroding their hull plating rapidly. Phasers struck at the engines or the bridge. The mighty Earth vessel also evaded many of the disruptors, though they were still buffeted by enemy fire.

The _Crusher_ struck back viciously. Though some of the shots missed, theirs packed a much more powerful wallop. However, the tactical officer just hit any part of the ship that he could. And while the power of the Sunak vessel was vast, their scanning equipment didn't have the processing power their opponents did.

On both ships, both captains continued to bark orders, as Archer tried to disable his opponent, and Karken tried to destroy his. Neither one could predict what the other was going to do, as both were not familiar with the other. Stalemate.

Finally, though, once again the two tactical officers launched a torpedo at the same time, aiming dead center at each other. Two of those missiles, one red, one purple, shot at each other, connecting dead center with each other, and promptly detonated.

However, when they detonated, they destroyed one of Yggdrasil's satellites.

----

"Ex, one of our satellites in orbit of the Earth has just been obliterated!" Ere shouted, looking at the screen in shock.

Ex shot out of the chair, looking at the screen as well. It was utterly impossible. Those satellites were out of sync with corporeal space, as they were constructed out of antimatter, as the sci-fi shows on Earth would call it. It was absolutely out of the question that two torpedoes could do it. Unless…

"Chrono, give me a scan of the explosion. Look for trace elements, like antimatter," she ordered. "Something about _Enterprise's _weaponry doesn't seem right."

Chrono did so, and blinked. "Confirmed," she said, looking up in amazement. "I am picking up antimatter in the area. How did you know?"

"I didn't. But only an antimatter explosion could have destroyed our satellites. What I want to know is, how did a parallel reality's mankind manage to harness it?"

Ere thought about it. "Maybe they harness it to help power something. Maybe a faster than light means of travel. Definitely some pumped up version of a missile." She paused to let it sink in. "Well, that's what I think," she finished defensively.

"You and me both." Ex sat back down. "I really didn't want to be put temporarily in charge," she complained. "I don't have the knowledge for this."

"And you think I did? But it's what I wanted."

Ex was out of the chair immediately. "It's yours again, Peorth," she said, looking relieved to see a experienced face again. She was no good on her own.

Peorth grinned. "Ohhhhh no you don't. I'm heading down to Earth myself. So is my relief. You're remaining in charge." She chuckled at the expression on Ex's face. "Think of it as good training," she added. "After all, one of you is going to replace me in about four thousand years."

"I was afraid you were going to say that. And you two, stop laughing!"

----

Archer was not in the best of moods. "What do you mean, there was a spike in the radiation waves?"

T-Pol, if she weren't a vulcan, would have fidgeted under the captain's gaze. However, it would not have been a wise move either way, as the ship was still pitching with each new salvo. "When the two torpedoes hit each other, I detected a massive amount of antimatter released. Far more than anything two torpedoes, no matter how powerful, to produce in a single explosion."

"So what you're saying is that we just hit some kind of weapon?"

"No. However, I think we may have hit a device of some kind, a device that is composed entirely composed of antimatter."

Archer nodded. After everything they had seen so far, it was not difficult to wrap his mind around this. "Can we use them as a way to block the _Crusher's_ sensors?" he asked, as the ship pitched once more.

T-Pol consulted her equipment again. "I would not recommend it. I cannot accurately scan the remains, but they appear to be, judging by the general outline of them, to be a series of satellites."

"Hold on! You're saying there's more of them?"

"Yes. And I would suggest that we avoid them. They may have an effect on our own antimatter supply, and the intermix formula."

"Good idea. Mayweather, plot a course around any of those objects."

"Aye, sir."

----

Karken looked at the screen in amusement. "What are they doing?" he asked. "What their people call the 'Charleston'?'

"Maybe they think we mined the orbit around the planet," the navigation officer joked, smirking.

"Well, whatever they're doing, it isn't hindering their aim." Sheeyal braced herself on the backside of tactical board as another shot struck the _Crusher._ Hull Plating is down to ten percent, and we have exhausted our complement of torpedoes."

"Recommendations?"

"We retreat, and get restocked. We also have our hull plating improved upon, and study the battle from an observers angle, find out what went wrong, besides the obvious fact that they're here." Sheeyal paused. "I know the praetor will be upset that we left, but we really have been caught unprepared."

"Actually, no he won't. At least, he won't be with us." Karken's communication officer spoke up. "Sir, we have a message from Shar-Ti to retreat. This was not expected, and he wants your personal opinion of this new ship."

So the praetor had been observing the battle from afar. All in all, not an unexpected thing. "All right. Get us out of here, full impulse until we're clear of the solar system, then go to warp five." He growled. "I really don't want to have to retreat, but we do need to reassess the situation. And if they can do this to us, then this planet is not so unprotected after all."

"Understood, sir."

As the helm began implementing the course correction, Karken stared at the screen. "We will meet again, Captain Archer," he said softly. "And then, I will kill you."

----

T-Pol looked up from her sensor grid. "They're retreating, Captain." Even as she said this, the _Crusher_ executed a one-eighty, and immediately powered on out of there at full impulse.

Archer heaved a sigh. "Thank god. Re-polarize the hull plating, keep phasers locked on them until they are at least outside of Mars orbit." He slouched in his chair. "Thank god that's over. Status report."  
"Phasers are at thirty percent, and we're down to four photon torpedoes. However, we have sustained no real devastating damage, and repair teams are already responding. Phasers will be recharged within twenty four hours. Three causalities, nothing serious."

Archer nodded. _Enterprise_ had fared rather well under the circumstances. They had defeated a virtual unknown, and without a great deal of damage. They wouldn't do so well, next time, but the fact they did this time was a good sign.

Now he could focus on the main problem. "T-Pol, is there any sign of the anomaly that brought us here?" he asked.

T-Pol scanned the surrounding area. "Negative, Captain."

Archer nodded, not surprised. Since when was anything easy like that? "So we're stuck here until it pops up again." He sighed. "Very well then. We might as well be useful while we're here. T-Pol, can you gave me a report as to how much damage Earth has sustained."

"I will have it for you in about ten hours."

"Good." Archer stretched. "Have all hands stand down. No point of remaining at battle stations. I'll be in my ready room." With that, he started to get up.

"Captain!" Hoshi looked up in amazement. "We're receiving a radio message!"  
Instantly, Archer was at her station. "Let's have it."

For a moment, static was all they heard as Hoshi tried to clear it up, muttering to herself as she did so. Then they heard, "…_I repeat, this is Captain Robert Anderson of the United States Army to the unidentified attacking vessel in orbit. Our people have no quarrel with you, and have no real way to defend ourselves against you. If you can hear this, please respond."_

Hoshi looked up. "Do you want to respond?" she asked.

Archer thought about it for a minute, finally deciding that they had probably been seen. "Patch me through, Hoshi." He waited until she nodded. "This is Captain Archer of the _Starship Enterprise. _The danger is over for now. We've managed to drive off the attacking vessel, but there's no guarantee that they won't be back." For a moment, there was silence. "Captain Anderson?"

"…_Excuse me, Captain Archer, but did you say _Starship Enterprise_?"_

Archer shared a confused glance with T-Pol. "Yes, I did…why do you ask?"

What he heard was not exactly what he thought he would see. He was expecting it to be a religious object, or a forbidden name.

He was not expecting this.

"_Hot damn, we've just entered the Star Trek universe!"_

Archer and Hoshi stared at each other. "Star Trek!?" they asked in unison.

"…_You have no idea what the hell I'm talking about."_

"No, Captain, I really don't."

"…_Are you allowed to come down to the planet? I think we need to talk about what just happened."_

"We'll be down in several minutes. Do you have an area where we can land a shuttlecraft down?" Archer asked.

"_Let me check… Lieutenant! Can they land in front of the Pentagon? …Thank you. Captain Archer, there'll be a place open for you in the Pentagon parking lot."_

Archer nodded. "Thank you. We'll be there in about fifteen minutes."  
"_See you then. Anderson out."_

Hoshi nodded. "Communication severed. He was probably trying to contact the Sunak throughout the entire battle."

Archer nodded. "I don't think the Sunak were interested in talking," he noted. "I think they were more interested in blowing the planet to kingdom come, and having a good time while they were at it."

T-Pol looked up from her equipment. "I should begin scanning the planet for tell-tale damage."

All right then. Archer to Doctor Phlox.

'_Phlox here."_

"Prepare emergency medical teams for transfer to the planet surface in ten hours."

"_Aye, sir. Phlox out."_

Archer looked over to Reed. "Malcolm, contact the shuttle bay. Have a shuttle readied. We're heading down to the surface."

"Aye, sir." Reed made the arrangements. "It'll be ready when we get there," he reported.

"Good, you're with me. T-Pol, you have the bridge." With that, he and Reed entered the turbo lift.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

The Geo Cruiser flew through the air at a leisure pace, now seven hours into the journey to Hope Island. In that time, Laura, Linka, and Gi had set out to become old friends, basically chatting about everything they could think of. Laura learned a great deal of the lives the two had lived before becoming Planeteers, and what their lives were like now. In return, the two Planeteers learned what the life of a cattle rancher was like, with all it's perks and downside. And through it all, Gi gave their friend pointers in how to tread around Ma-Ti, much to the embarrassment of the Planeteer of Heart, and the amusement of the pilot and co-pilot. After all, Wheeler and Kwame had teased each other a great deal over the last month about their particular crushes, so it was particularly satisfying to not be the recipients.

Finally though, Laura was finally tired of speaking with them, and sat back down next to Ma-Ti. "So, you've been teased about this, too?" she asked.

Ma-Ti nodded, grinning sheepishly. "I actually believe I deserve some of it. After all, I have been teasing Wheeler and Linka for the last several years, and Kwame and Gi for the last month." He looked around. "Did you really get it that bad?"

Laura nodded, giggling. "It was horrible. They ganged up on me, and pestered me for information about you. What you were like, what your favorite color was, what you were interested in…among other things." She refrained to mention the other things, as they still brought a blush to her cheeks.

Ma-Ti noticed the slight pinkish tint to Laura's cheeks. "I'm going to assume that you will tell me what else they inquired when we have some privacy," he whispered. He watched Laura as she nodded. "Okay."

For a few minutes, the cruiser was silent, as everyone on board was thinking, or piloting, or just be silent. Laura and Ma-Ti were almost asleep, content with just sitting next to each other. Gi was looking out the window, staring at the clouds as they flew by. Linka had pulled out her book, opened to where she had left off, and began reading again. Kwame began running various diagnostics on the Geo Cruiser's equipment, while Wheeler concentrated on piloting the little plane.

The silence was broken when Gi suddenly jerked away from the window, like she had seen something that she didn't want to see. That of course, prompted Kwame to turn around and ask. "What is it?"

Gi looked at him. "I think we're being followed. And in something I've never seen before."  
Wheeler looked at her. "What does it look like?"  
"It looks kind of like a mechanical bug."  
Wheeler punched into the small computer screen keyboard. A few seconds later, he looked up. "I think we may have a problem," he said.

"What?" Ma-Ti shook himself awake, staring at Wheeler. Laura shifted, slowly rubbing her eyes.

The Fire Planeteer switched off the auto-pilot. "Well, I'm no expert, but I think that's some type of attacker. And if there anything like fighter jets, I'd say we're the target."

As if to punctuate his remark, the vessel's prongs began glowing a bright yellow. Half a second later, it spit twin yellow blasts, aimed right at them. It was painfully obvious what their follower was planning to do.

Wheeler reacted with a speed borne of years of experience, and wrenched the controls, making the Geo-Cruiser swerve to the right. The blasts missed by only a fraction of an inch.

"What the hell?!" Kwame shouted, sounding so unlike what he usually did. "What was that?"

Linka got up to the cockpit. "I think we have just had lasers shot at us. Maybe it is something new from Doctor Blight?" she suggested.

"I've got the funny feeling it wasn't sent by the Doc," Wheeler muttered darkly, wrenching the controls every which way, avoiding the rapid fire of their attacker. "Because I don't think that this guy would chummy up with her real well!"

Laura looked out her window. "Then why are they firing on us? Or at the very least, on you guys?"

"No idea." Wheeler put the Geo-Cruiser into a spin, watching as what looked like a missile of some kind fly over head. "Though I'm going to find out. Kwame, try and contact our attacker. Ma-Ti, contact Gaia. Tell her we're under attack, and see if she can contact Commando Clash. We need some aerial support. In the meantime, I think we need some planet power here!"

Linka stared at Wheeler in amazement as he gave out orders, like a general commanding his troops. He was changing so much, that he was almost unrecognizable. However, he was right on this. They needed help.

Ma-Ti did as he was told, then nodded. "She's getting Clash. He's actually very near here. He'll be here in several minutes."

"All right then." Kwame raised his rings. "Let our powers combine. _Earth!_"

Instantly, a greenish beam of light emerged from his ring, heading into the sky.

The others followed his example.

"_Fire!"_ Wheeler roared, unleashing his power in an orange beam.

"_Wind!"_ Linka unleashed a bluish-white burst.

"_Water!"_ Gi's ring let loose a dark blue blast.

"_Heart!"_ Ma-Ti called out, his ring emitting a gold color.

As one, the powers that they commanded left their rings, heading up into the air to fulfill their ultimate purpose. To merge into the most powerful being the Earth had ever seen. A being that was created for one reason; to protect nature from those who would seek to destroy it, or any disaster that would threaten it.

"_By your powers combined…I am Captain Planet!"_

Wheeler didn't yell, "Go, Planet!" with the rest of them. He was too busy piloting, and in that moment, he found it extremely corny. Instead, waiting until they had all said that, shouted, "Cap! We need you to keep that creep off our tail, so we can retreat to a safe distance! Think you can do it?"

"Please. I like to think I'm a person of many skills," Planet replied, grinning. "I'll just make him follow this birdie!" Without another word, he turned and flew in the opposite direction of the cruiser.

Laura watched him go. She had the funny feeling that he wasn't going to slow down this creep any.

Ma-Ti shared her opinion.

----

The Sunak pilot smirked. He had to give those Planeteers credit. They knew how to fly a plane. And they had summoned their protector later than he had predicted. Not that it would matter, of course. The outcome would be precisely the same.

He heard one of them trying to contact him, but he ignored it, actually enjoying the fact that they were concerned for their passenger's safety. It meant very little to him, as she was very fond of one of them.

He activated a small control panel that had been up to that moment dark. Pressing a single button, he deactivated a stasis field. Then, he opened the launch doors. And waited, humming a tune that his people knew.

Finally, the one they called Captain Planet flew in front of him, blocking his way. He slowed down, bringing his craft into hover right in front of him. "At last, the worlds last line of defense. We finally meet."

Planet wagged a finger at him. "You've been a bad boy, not to mention a bad shot. I'm putting you, and whatever plot you have, out of business. So you can turn around now, and fly back to whatever Eco-Terrorist that hired you, and simply say, "Captain Planet got in the way, and ruined my plan, and made fun of me," or whatever you want to say to them."

The pilot laughed, thumbing the outer ship communication grid. "You truly have no idea as to who or what I am, you fool. And you think I serve your pathetic human terrorists? Captain Planet, you are going to have much more important things than the survival of your environment. Like staying alive long enough to save your Planeteer friends." He finally pressed the third control, releasing his 'cargo.'

Planet looked rather confused. Did this guy just say human terrorists? And what were in those canisters that he released? All he knew was whoever this guy was, he was dangerous.

"_Don't bother going after the canisters, Planet. There are no toxic chemicals in them for you to worry about. There are, however, some very exotic creatures in them that are infinitely more dangerous. You just have to wait for a few seconds for them to 'hatch.'"_

A few seconds later, Captain Planet found out why as the canisters split open, releasing a large cloud of gray smoke. He saw some kind of shadows in the smoke, obscured in shadow. Straining to see what it was, he noticed that they were big.

Then, those something's emerged.

" _Amazing, aren't they? I believe your friends would call them giant dragonflies. An un-dramatic, but extremely accurate description." _The voice definitely sounded amused. '_However, we of the Sunak Confederation call them _Klahsef. _Spirit hunters. They're very good at it, as you are about to see. Now, if you will excuse me, I have some Planeteers to kill. Good day."_ With that, the cruiser immediately flew by Planet.

Planet shook his head. "Looks like negotiations are over," he muttered. And then he was too busy getting ready to defend himself, as those _Klahsef_ were heading in his direction. He dodged the first one, then the other, by only the barest of margins. These things were _fast_! Then one of them hit from behind, slamming him into a loop. He cart wheeled for a second before he righted himself, rephrasing his thought. They were fast _and_ strong! And they were extremely coordinated for insects.

As if to add fuel to his finding, the two began launching themselves at him, one after another. He bobbed and weaved to the best of his ability, pushing his flying abilities to their limit. In that time, he came up with a half decent plan. It was something Linka would have found immensely workable. He only hoped they were only following instincts, and weren't capable of thinking. Otherwise, he was going to be in a world of trouble.

The two spirit hunters flew in at the spirit again, one from the front, one from the rear, catching him in a pincer attack. Just the way he wanted to be. He didn't like waiting long.

When the closer one reached him, he immediately put all of his power into play, diving under the _Klahsef_, and at the same time, grabbing it's tail, stopping it in it's tracks. He began twirling around and round, like a top, before releasing his captive at hurricane speed.

The other spirit hunter moved with a speed that was unimaginable, catching his compatriot with a gentleness that was impressive. Planet flew in, slamming into both of them with all the power in his body, trying to knock them into free fall. It worked partially. One of them was knocked into free fall, it's right wing severed from it's body. He regretted doing that, but he had had no time to prepare properly. And he was, as he now figured out, fighting for his life.

The other one gave a shriek of rage, and almost immediately, a long, thin needle appeared at the tip of his tail. The tail curled in under the giant bug, and his wings began beating faster and faster.

Half a second later, he felt a sudden pain in his arm. He looked down, and saw a small cut on it. '_Wow, talk about a major drawback. If that thing can hurt me…?'_

He was in serious trouble here.

As he completed his thought, the other _Klahsef _came flying up again, it's right wing restored already. And it had undergone a similar transformation. He rephrased his earlier thought. He wasn't in serious trouble. There was no word in any language that could describe how much trouble he was in.

And then, he was dodging again and again, barely getting out of the way each time. He was getting a few more cuts to his arms and legs, but nothing that really hindered him. Thank god for not having any blood running through his system. However, he still could feel pain, and it was becoming distracting. He needed to end this fast, and before that creep managed to get the Planeteers.

In that moment of thought, both spirit hunters attacked at once, forcing him into a corkscrew maneuver. Then, as if they had planned it, they instantly slammed into him from both sides, squashing him. In pain, he tried to move, but then, he saw them preparing to use their tails, ready to run him through. He closed his eyes.

----

Commando Clash said only one phrase. "All units, fire at will!"  
Instantly, four helicopters fired their missiles at once, targeting the two extremely large dragonflies. Three of them hit the incoming one, blasting it out of the sky. It hit the ground with a sickening thud, though no one up there could hear it. The last one hit the one behind Captain Planet, forcing it to back off. "Gotcha!" One of the pilots shouted in victory.

Planet, now free, turned around, and knocked the last bug into a loop. Another set of missiles issued from the copters, hitting the bug in almost every single body part. It too fell, a few scant seconds later. "Thanks, Clash for that explosive arrival!" Planet shouted, waving.

"Don't mention it! Now, where are the Planeteers?"

"Some kind of kook is after them, in some kind of weird ship. I think he's trying to kill them, and me too! They went Northeast!"  
"Well then, let's get going. Boys, formation Alpha! Johnson, pick up what's left of the corpses!" Clash looked at the superhero outside his window. "How do we find them?" he asked.

"Follow the lasers."

----

Wheeler grunted, pushing the Geo Cruiser to the very limits of it's speed and maneuverability, as he bobbed and weaved, avoiding the attacker. '_Apparently, this guy was ready for Cap,'_ he thought.

The vessel had caught up with them very easily, and began the assault anew. Lasers and those strange missiles flew in after them, trying to hit them. And each time, Wheeler barely got out of the way. The weapons were also doing unmentionable damage to the surface, but there was nothing they could do about it.

"Wheeler! He is trying to get in front of us!" Linka shouted.

Wheeler immediately went downward, taking the attacker by surprise. He waited until the ground had approached the point of no return, then pulled up. Two projectiles slammed into the ground, causing insurmountable damage. "Geez, this guy wants to bury us!"

"I think we established that!" Laura shouted. "Is there anyway for us to fight back?"  
"Captain Planet _was_ our way to fight back!" Gi replied.

"Well, maybe you should have lasers installed somewhere!"  
"And where would we be putting them?"  
"Anywhere! Even a small handgun would be useful!"  
"Ladies!" Wheeler roared. "Shut up, so I can pilot recklessly in peace!"  
"Sorry," Laura and Gi said at the same time. Linka giggled for a second before looking out the window again, trying to track their attacker's movements.

"Kwame, give me a reading!"  
"We're at maximum speed, but he is still keeping up with us! He's not trying to get in front of us again, though!"  
Wheeler nodded. "Ma-Ti, can you see what he's doing?"  
Ma-Ti looked out the window. "His shots are veering extremely close to our sides. And I think he is aiming there on purpose!"  
Wheeler grasped the implications immediately. "He's trying to hit our solar power cells, kill our power supply!"

"Is there an auxiliary power supply?" Laura asked.

"A secondary solar generator on the other side of the Geo Cruiser. Now that I think about it, it's probably a good idea to turn it on right now. Linka, could you please activate it? We need the extra power!"

Linka went over to the cockpit, hitting a button on the dashboard. Almost instantly, the Geo-Cruiser kicked as a surge of speed swept it forward. "Well, that is new," she muttered.

----

The pilot's eyebrows disappeared in surprise. '_They have an additional power supply on that ship,'_ he thought, '_and are deploying it to increase their speed. I didn't think they would be this prepared.'_ His opinion of the Spirit's servants went up. They were extremely resourceful, and extremely unpredictable. And they weren't too bad at flying a plane either. He was actually going to regret killing them, but it had to be done. He added more power to his engines.

----

"Geez, this guy doesn't know when to quit," Wheeler growled. He continued maneuvering around like mad. "What's his problem? Hey, I'll ask him that!"

The Sunak pilot prepared to fire once more, when he heard a new voice come over the intercom. For a moment, he figured they were trying to contact him, to try and beg for mercy, until he heard the voice ask, rather bluntly, "_What the hell is your problem, you damn asshole?"_

He blinked. "Have to admit, didn't see this one coming." Deciding to answer, he activated the send button.

"_I have decided to reply, if only because you have managed to survive this long, and since you asked so nicely. You see, you are servants to a dangerous being."_

Wheeler's eyes narrowed. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out who he meant. The question was, how did he know about Gaia? "Look, whatever you think about Gaia, you're wrong. Gaia is not evil. She is only concerned with keeping Earth alive and healthy for future generations."

"_You're wrong there, human! All spirits are inherently evil, and will always be evil! They only manipulate, use, and deceive everyone they meet! And you help her with her plot! That makes you traitors to the greater good, and thus, you must die!"_

"If your fight is with us, then at least let us drop our passenger off! She has nothing to do with this." Wheeler noted the hope in Ma-Ti's face as he said this.

"_No. Your friend, Laura Talbot, is unusually attached to your Planeteer of 'Heart.' That makes her as traitorous as the rest of you. So she will die with the rest of you, right now!" _And with that, the transmission cut off. Ma-Ti's shoulders sagged in despair.

"We're in trouble, and that includes you, Laura. Everyone, better hang on!"

The Sunak cruiser opened fire again, this time taking better aim. Wheeler found himself hard pressed to keep the plane out of the line of fire.

Linka looked at Laura. "He obviously knows who you are. The questions are, how do does he know of you, and why does he hate Gaia so much?"

Laura shook her head, unsure on how to respond.  
"Maybe he had had a meeting with Zarm which did not go well," Ma-Ti suggested.

"Or it's something else. Maybe someone who wants to hurt the planet," Gi supplied.

Wheeler nodded. "Your suggestion is, I think, the one that nails this on the head, Gi, but not in the way we're used to. And we're first on the list!"

----

Clash couldn't believe it. "How does he know about you?" he asked. "I mean, only those who have seen you before should know about you!"  
"Well, I'm going to go out on a limb, and say that he's done his homework. He wasn't using any weapons that created pollution when used, so he is environmentally sound. I just think he hates the Planeteers."

The commando thought about it for a second. "Or maybe he hates something else, or someone else. A spirit, perhaps?"

"Gaia!? But, why?"  
"Haven't a clue. But the Geo Cruiser and their attacker are a lot faster than you at this particular moment, and our copters. You're going to have to go to speed up. I'll take one of the corpses to Hope Island, and the other one will go directly to Washington. That way, we have two fronts to find out what the hell we're up against."

Planet nodded. "Sounds like a plan. See ya later!" With that, he took off like a bolt of lightning. Clash immediately swerved in the general direction of Hope Island, and started praying. The other three copter's headed in the direction of Washington D.C.

----

The Geo Cruiser entered the Grand Canyon at breakneck speed, Wheeler redlining the engines as he did so. He began putting all of his concentration into the maneuvering the plane through the various grooves and curves that the longest canyon in the world had formed over millions of years. Now they would serve a different purpose than being simply a tourist attraction today. Today, they were their best chance of survival.

Even as he thought this, several blasts shot by the cruiser, chewing into the rock face. He came to the conclusion that the attacker had followed them in. He decided that he was under orders to destroy them, even if he died in the attempt. That thought did not settle well with the Fire Planeteer. Jerking the controls at a speed that was phenomenal, he banked, swerved, dodged, and rolled the Cruiser like a bird. And the predator continued flexing it's talons at them.

"Wheeler! The solar packs are over heating!" Kwame yelled, trying to be heard over the straining power packs, and the constant firing of their assailant. "If we do not reduce speed to safe levels, the Geo Cruiser may explode!"  
"If we reduce speed," Wheeler replied, "we will be destroyed! In my opinion, we don't have a lot of choices here. Probable death by the packs, or certain death at the hands of the enemy! Which do you think I'm going to take?"

"Good point!"  
"Drive, Yankee!"

For a minute longer, the Geo Cruiser continued it's deadly dance in the canyon, avoiding every single rock face and depression, emerging virtually unscathed. However, they couldn't keep this up forever.

"That's it!" Wheeler roared, wrenching the Geo Cruiser around in a somewhat wider depression. "I'm tired of running! Kwame, take over! Set a collision course!"  
"What!?"  
"Just do it! Veer to the right only when I say so! Understand?"

Kwame nodded, wondering what his friend was going to do. The order seemed rather reckless, something the Wheeler he knew would have come up with. But the steel in Wheeler's voice made him realize that his friend was tired of running, and he was going to do something about it.

Laura began chuckling. "Good luck there, my fellow American. Try not to get hit by the back lash."

Wheeler nodded, then pulled open the left cockpit door.

Linka looked at Laura. "Backlash?" she echoed.

Laura simply smiled. "You'll see."

----

The Pilot's brow disappeared into his hairline, as he stared at what the Geo Cruiser was doing. Then he grinned. "So, they have decided to stop running, and play 'chicken' with me. Very well." He stopped firing, and put more power into the engines.

"Steady, steady," Kwame muttered, watching the other vessel speed up. He couldn't believe it. He was playing chicken with a very aggressive being, in the Grand Canyon, no less! And to make matters even more complicated, he was doing it, while Wheeler was preparing to put the next part of his plan into action, which required him to be perched on the outer fringe of the Geo Cruiser, looking like he was going to leap off the ship. The other occupants were gripping their armrest's so hard that their knuckles were white. Fear was apparent in all of their faces.

Fifty meters, thirty meters, ten meters…

"_Now!"_

Immediately, Kwame veered to the right. At the same time, Wheeler jumped. Immediately, the Planeteer of Earth banked up, taking them out of the canyon. "Good luck, Wheeler," he muttered. Then he started praying.

----

The pilot was amazed. The Planeteers had developed a strategy that was truly impressive. He would now have to go the rest of the way through that section of the canyon before he could veer around. Even simply pulling up would give them valuable seconds to reach the nearby military base. And he wasn't ready to put his vessel through their anti-aircraft missiles. However, he also knew that he could simply speed up. That way, he could catch them before they reached any sort of help.

He reached for the controls…and suddenly heard something thump against his hull. Confused, he looked to the top of his window. Seeing nothing, he shrugged, and prepared to come about.

Suddenly, a person appeared in front of him, slamming his hand against the window. The pilot looked up in shock.

"Hey, pull over, you green skinned son of a bitch! I want answers, and I want them now!"  
The pilot shook his head. What kind of madness was this? The Confederation's top commander had been positive that the Planeteers were cowards. So why was this one on his cruiser? He did have to give credit to him. This was truly a courageous act. A pity it would be his last.

Wrenching the cruiser, he tried to shake off the little insect.

----

Wheeler held on for dear life as the vessel began careening back and forth. He knew this was going to happen, and he didn't like it one bit. However, he had been climbing trees ever since he was eleven years old, especially during extremely windy days, learning to keep himself up on the higher branches. And some of his Planeteer exploits had required him to work in hurricane-type situations, and he had quite a grip to begin with. So he held on, using all of his experience to climb.

Slowly, he made his way across the attacker, away from the window, making his way to the back. He was relatively certain that that was where the entry hatch was. In his pocket, he had a small proximity grenade that Clash had given to him for his birthday last year, saying jokingly that it might come in handy. He only hoped that it was still good.

Making it to his objective, he was delighted to see that it was indeed there, and had a small perch there. Why it was there was beyond him, but it provided him with a foothold. And he needed that.

Getting down, he made sure he had a secure foothold, then pulled out the little grenade. More like a proximity charge, it wouldn't cause that much of an explosion, Clash had told him, and in fact would only cause a minor vibration throughout the ship. But he only needed to cause a small explosion to loosen the hatch enough for him to force it open, and gain access to the ship.

Jamming it into the lower portion of the hatch, he pulled the pin, and then scrambled back up to the top. It wasn't powerful enough to cause a great deal of damage, but it would be enough to knock him off the ship if he was in range. Then he held on, tight.

----

The pilot had finally pulled up, and had turned around, going to full speed. After he saw that Planeteer disappear from his sight, he had assumed that he had fallen off. Now he only had to worry about the other Planeteers.

Bringing them back into his sights, he noted that they were going slower than before. '_They must have pushed their engines too hard,'_ he thought triumphantly. His earlier concerns were unwarranted. There was no where to run, no where to hide. They had led him on a merry chase, and he would fondly remember them as worthy prey. However, he had exhausted his patience on them, and decided he was going to blow out of the sky.

Kwame had given up hope. That last run had not only drained the power packs, but had apparently done some damage to the exhaust port. They couldn't go beyond a certain speed, and he knew the cruiser was coming around, with weapons possibly ready to fire. He closed his eyes.

----

The pilot targeted carefully, aiming at the engines. It was going to be short and sweet. They probably wouldn't even feel a thing.

He began to squeeze…and a shudder ran through the ship, distracting him for a second. He also smelled smoke coming from the rear, near the hatch. Getting up, keeping the targeting system locked on the Geo Cruiser, he went to see what it was.

Wheeler swung down, slamming both his feet into the door.

The pilot suddenly got hit by the hatch, as it was forcibly slammed into him. He clutched his mouth and stumbled back as he saw the Fire Planeteer swing in, landing in the shuttle. His eyes narrowed as he stared at the intruder. Next time, he was going to make sure personally that they were dead before turning his attention to other things.

Wheeler's eyes spoke of steel and fire. "I want answers, and I want them now," he growled. "And I'll get them, even if I have to beat them out of you . And first answer I want is who you are."

His adversary bowed. "I am Zephyer, a member of a species called the Telazis. I am part of a group known only as the Sunak Confederation. And as to why we want you dead, I'm afraid I won't tell. Instead, I'm going to kill you with my own two hands." And with that, he lunged, hands outstretched, closing them around Wheeler's throat, and started to squeeze.

Wheeler brought his own hands up, grabbing the Telazisian's arms, breaking his grip, and driving his head forward. He connected with a solid head butt, driving the other guy back. Zephyer retaliated with a solid right hook, catching Wheeler in the jaw. Wheeler's head snapped to the side, but he recovered and kicked him in the stomach. He immediately followed with a series of punches to Zephyer's face, stomach, and kidney area. With his opponent reeling, he lifted him into the ceiling with an uppercut. The man fell to the ground, unconscious. "That's what you get for messing with my friends," Wheeler growled, kicking him for good measure. Then he headed for the cockpit, and sat down in the chair.

Looking over the controls, he wasn't surprised to see that it was a standard pilot wheel. Apparently, while the weapons were advanced, the piloting functions were not. Next, he noted that one of the screen had what appeared to be a targeting lock on the Geo Cruiser. So, he immediately began sweating. How to remove the lock without accidentally shooting them? "My kingdom for a Rosetta Stone," he muttered.

He finally decided to just put his faith in God, and pressed one button, closing his eyes as he did so. For a second, he waited. When he didn't hear an explosion, he opened his eyes again, and stared at the screen. The target lock was gone. He breathed a sigh of relief. '_Ma-Ti,'_ he called out telepathically.

Ma-Ti jerked in surprise. '_Wheeler?'_

'_I have taken control of the enemy shuttle. Please inform Kwame that I'm coming alongside, so as to play around with their weapons systems without putting the Geo Cruiser in danger.'_

'_Will do.'_ "Kwame, it's over."

Kwame breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, for answering our prayers," he whispered.

----

"_It was a trap. A well set trap, designed to get us."_

Gaia sat down, feeling every one of her many eons. "I can't believe I didn't see this coming. Do you know who would want you dead?"

"_Not really. We still have no idea as to who we are dealing with. Wheeler was able to stop the assault. You should have seen him."_

"I wish I did. Linka, is Laura okay?"  
'_She is fine. A little frightened, but okay."_

Linka was very blunt when she said this. Gaia knew that it meant that her Planeteer of Wind was hiding her fear, and felt a great swell of sympathy. "And Wheeler?" she asked softly, knowing how much of a sensitive subject the American was to Linka.

'_On the other ship…wait. Commando Clash is wanting a word with you. Says he has something important to show you."  
_With a thought, Gaia shifted her gaze to Clash, putting him on the planet vision. "What is it, friend?" she asked.

"_We've managed to procure a corpse of one of the beasts that attacked Captain Planet, and I'm on my way to Hope Island. I think you might want to have a look at it."_

Gaia nodded. "And Captain Planet?" he asked, concern etching her face.

"_He's on his way to the island now. He received word that the fight ended, and should be there right about-"_

"Hold that thought, Clash. I think he just landed. I'll talk to all of you when you arrive. And thank you for all of your help."  
"_You're welcome. See you in a few hours."_

Without a second thought to that, Gaia walked out of what Wheeler jokingly called her command center, and headed out to the beach. She wanted to see if he was all right.

When she got there, she realized he wasn't. "Planet!"  
Captain Planet staggered, no longer oriented. "Sorry if I look a little cut up," he mumbled. "I just need to rest a little bit." And with that, he collapsed, unconscious.

Gaia was by his side immediately, holding his head up. "_Planeteers,"_ she sent telepathically, "_get back here as soon as you can! Captain Planet is hurt, and hurt badly!'_ She didn't wait for a reply, but picked Planet up, and carried him to the hut. "Come on, old friend," she muttered. "Don't you dare die on us! Don't die on me!"

* * *

"Are you sure?"

"_Affirmative, my lord. Their protector is injured, but the Planeteers live. One of them even managed to get his hands on one of our one man fighters, and captured Zephyer. Do you want us to proceed?"_

"Negative. Do not interfere. Humans are notorious for figuring out how to use things in the heat of battle. Stay away from them and head for our base. Between this, and the arrival of that starship in orbit, we need to rethink our approach."

"_Yes, sir. Siad out."_

The man in the center chair sat back, thinking. He was notably impressed now. '_They've changed a great deal in thirteen years, and have in fact matured. I'm amazed. A pity they all have to die, alongside the three last all powerful spirits._

_Then, the ring will be mine…'_


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

Five hours after the two attacks, and two hours after the governments had been informed of _Enterprise's _existence, one of the _Enterprise_ shuttlecrafts flew over The White House under escort, its occupants going over the information that was being transmitted from the ship. It was not promising, to say the least.

"Moscow, the Siberian Tundra, Houston," Mayweather breathed. "My God, what did these people do to piss the Sunak off?"

Archer looked up. "Probably just living on the planet, and not dying off fast enough. When do we land?"

"In a few minutes." The space boomer looked out the window. "It's like a novel of the old days," he whispered in awe. "When people had no access to force fields, or structural integrity fields, could develop buildings that stood the test of time, and be preserved for future generations. It's amazing."  
T-Pol looked out the window. "It is impressive," she agreed. "However, I don't think Karken really cared too much."

"I agree. Mayweather, land over there. I think that's where they want us to set down." No sense going back now.

Captain Anderson watched as the shuttle landed in the spot that had been cleared especially for them while their escort flew off, a little nervous. When he had sent that message out to space, he had not expected someone to actually respond to it, let alone people from another dimension. So it had been a shock when _Enterprise_ had responded. He felt like he was in the Twilight Zone, not knowing what was going on, or how it was going to end, desperately clinging to his sanity along the way. He looked over at the two guards with him, nodding slightly, just enough of an entourage to let them know that they weren't taking any chances, but at the same time, they were willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

As the hatch opened, Anderson stood at attention, absently noting that the guards were doing the same thing. He observed a middle aged Caucasian male step out, followed by a young woman. She seemed human, but upon closer inspection, he noticed that her ears were pointed, and her brow was arched slightly. _'Vulcan,'_ he decided. _'And my classmates thought that extraterrestrials didn't exist.'_

"Captain Anderson? I'm Captain Archer. We spoke earlier."

Anderson shook Archer's hand. "Ah, yes. Thanks for saving our asses back there."

Archer nodded. "It was the least we could do," he said. "We have a preliminary assessment of the damage sustained during the attack. We'll have a more accurate report in a few hours."

Anderson took it, and felt his heart sink. "You better come inside." Turning around, he headed for the entrance. Archer and T-Pol followed him, Archer not feeling very confidant that the situation would approve.

As they entered the building, Archer saw that military personal were moving every which way, all heading for their sections. Guards were posted at every door, eyes alert, each of them observing the newcomers with a wary gaze, mostly the former sub commander. "Can you believe it?" he asked. "Not even one minute, and already you're under scrutiny. And it isn't exactly with an open expression."

"In all honesty, I cannot say I blame them." T-Pol returned their gaze steadily. "If it was Vulcan that had been attacked, my people would also be distrustful of outsiders." She turned to her commanding officer. "I think it would have been wiser if I had stayed on the ship," she added quietly.

"T-Pol, if you're going to get these people to trust you, to show that you aren't like the Sunak, you have to be down here, helping. And besides, you're the scientist. If we can pool our resources, we may find a way to stop them from destroying this planet." He would have continued speaking, but they entered the section of the Pentagon controlled by the army.

Every console was manned, every person working feverishly. Many of the aides were heading out the door, or were coming in. Two colonels were talking on phones, connected to the phone lines of Air Force One, where the President was currently being shuttled back to Washington D.C.. And on the master screen, satellites were showing the areas of damage that had been found already. And it was already substantial.

Anderson turned to them. "As you can see, we have managed to locate several of the areas that were hit. And the damage, as you might already know, is extensive. Their regional relief efforts are already under effect, and the United Nations is planning on sending reinforcements to the affected areas, but it's slow going."

Archer looked around. "_Enterprise_ has another shuttle on board that's usable. You can use the two to transport supplies and personnel over to where they're needed, and at a much faster pace as well. We're also sending our own relief efforts down to assist you."

Anderson nodded. "Thanks…but how do you plan on getting back to your ship?"

Archer was ready for that question. "We don't plan on returning to _Enterprise_. We're here to help. We only drove the Sunak away, not defeated them. So I'm staying to help coordinate. And it will probably be better if we establish a command center somewhere further from the capital, just on the off chance they attack again."

Anderson nodded. "Good idea. The question is, what do we do if they return before we're ready?"

Archer thought about it. "Pray," was what he finally said.

_

* * *

"Belldandy, you haven't been in touch for several days. Skuld is almost going nuts! When are you coming home?"_

Belldandy smiled slightly as she listened to Keiichi inform her of what was going on back home. _'Home,'_ she thought, with a trace of sadness. _'That place doesn't feel like home yet, and might never.' _Not for the first time, she wondered if taking Keiichi's joke seriously had been such a great idea. However, it was too late to take it back, and she did really care for the young man. Not to mention their chocolate sundaes were better on Earth than in Heaven.

Getting back to the present, and her telephone call, which was from, she replied, "Not for a while, I'm afraid. I have to take care of a few things here in New York. But Urd is on her way back, so Skuld can take her frustrations out on her." She heard a slight chuckle come over the phone. "And how are you?" she asked softly.

_"Worried about you. That phone call you received really had you spooked. What was it about?"_

And Belldandy thought back to that day, almost two days ago…

**Two days earlier**

_"Urd!!!"_ Skuld shrieked. _"I'm going to get you for this!"_

Belldandy looked up in time to float up to the ceiling as Urd shot by, laughing maniacally as Skuld followed her, her hair now a light shade of reddish pink, and her face now covered in polka dots. She had her trusty mallet with her, raised and ready to be used. Belldandy dropped back to Earth, giggling softly, but also shaking her head. _'Urd, you really should stop those jokes. Otherwise, Skuld will begin to retaliate in kind.'_

A yawn caught her attention, and she turned, smiling, as Keiichi walked into the kitchen. "Good morning, Keiichi," she said.

Morning," the young man returned, stifling another yawn that made Belldandy's heart flutter a little. "So, what's for breakfast? It smells good."

"Eggs and Bacon. It was something that I wanted to try. Is that all right?"

"Sure. Anything you cook is worth eating."

Belldandy blushed slightly. "I'm glad. Could you please set the table?"

Keiichi smiled. "Anything." But he didn't move, blushing a little. Belldandy did so as well, as they grew closer, closer…

_"Belldandy! Phone!"_

Belldandy's head moved in the general direction of Urds voice. _'The moment is shattered, and she is the one who is trying to get us to do…whatever it is she wants us to do. But her voice is…concerned.'_ "Who is it?" she asked.

"Peorth. It's about something that you should hear."

Now utterly confused, Belldandy looked at Keiichi. "Could you look after breakfast, please?"

Keiichi nodded, just as perplexed. He bent over the pan, keeping his eyes on it. Belldandy nodded, and headed over to the phone. "Did she say what it was about?" she asked.

"One person. Someone who we have to deal with." Belldandy's features stated that she didn't know what in heaven her half-sister was talking about, so she handed the phone over to her, looking relatively concerned. "You should hear what she has to say."

Belldandy put the phone to ear. "Peorth?"

_"Belldandy, we have confirmation. The Rogue is on the move."_

The first class Goddess's features hardened into an iron mask. "Where is he?" she asked.

_"Heading in the general direction of New York. Athena is organizing the network right now, and I'm heading down to coordinate. Athena requested that you should come. Request, not order. You do have an active contract."_

"I'll be there. Thank you, good-bye." Belldandy hung up, and turned to Urd. "Better get a portal ready. My contract is temporarily on hold."

Urd nodded. "What about Skuld?" she asked. "And Keiichi?"

The Goddess thought about it. "I don't know. Skuld is too young to be involved. And like I said, any current contracts I have in effect are temporarily rescinded because of this. I don't want to leave either of them, but I swore an oath to stop Sakar. So I'm going."

Urd nodded. "Just remember, Belldandy. This isn't a quest for revenge. We simply have to stop him, not destroy him."

"I know, and I won't go on a mad search until after I get all the information. Is that acceptable?"

Urd nodded. "It's okay. Better get packing, and take some American currency. You're going to need it."

**Present Day**

Belldandy felt a tear run down her cheek, as she remembered what had occurred afterwards. Skuld had cajoled, begged, threatened, and almost physically bound and gagged her wanting an explanation on why she and Urd were leaving. Belldandy didn't say anything, and Urd refused flat out to answer any of her questions. Keiichi didn't ask, probably thinking it was Goddess business, but he had the same look on his face Skuld had had. He had only said one thing.

_"Come back soon."_

Now because of Sakar, she wasn't going to be able to go home for a long time.

"I'm sorry, Keiichi," she said quietly. "I can't tell you about it. It's…classified." Oh, how she hated not being able to say what it was about, but orders were orders. And she didn't want him involved. If Sakar found out that she was living with a human, he would kill Keiichi, and all of her friends that were living in Nekomi.

_"Well…just be careful Belldandy. I don't want anything to happen to you, and neither does Skuld."_

"I know. And I hope to be home soon. In the meantime, please make sure Skuld doesn't eat too much ice cream, or try to sneak out of the house via the bathtub."

_"I know. And I've already stopped her five times already from doing so. She hasn't been eating. I've been surviving on take out food, and the Goddess Relief Office has called about eight times, demanding to know where you are, and why you aren't fulfilling your contract obligations."_ Keiichi's voice didn't hold the same question, but it held a question nonetheless. And Belldandy knew what it was. _Why aren't you here, with us?_

She struggled to maintain her voice as she replied, "Simply tell them that Athena wanted me to take care of something for her. That will satisfy them. And Keiichi…I will be back, not tomorrow, but hopefully in a couple of weeks." She blew a kiss into the receiver. "Love you."

_"Love you, too. Bye."_ With that, the phone line went dead.

Belldandy hung up the phone, feeling guilty. She hadn't told him that before Urd had left for Nekomi, she had received information from the White Wizard about Sakar. She hadn't told them anything about Sakar at all. She didn't like keeping secrets from those she loved, but she didn't want them involved. Sakar was hers to deal with, and hers alone.

Walking down the street to the nearby fast food place, she pondered all the aggravation that had been thrown at her. The letter in the alleyway, the fact the GRO was calling Keiichi, and Urd's own words, so out of character for her. Soon, the Supreme Council would start asking about her whereabouts. She had never filed in the fact that she had joined Athena's network with the Relief Offices, and thus, it never made it into the Yggdrasil databanks. Athena herself informed her that it was better that way.

_'Just like Sakar's way was for that young woman,'_ she thought, a surge near overpowering rage sweeping through her. She struggled to control it, knowing that the network would want her focused on the mission, not the being.

Suddenly making a decision, Belldandy turned, and began making her way to the hospital where she had taken the woman. It was another path that she knew by heart.

* * *

Reed looked up from his tactical board, his ever vigilant search of the Solar System extending into the second hour of his shift.

For the last two hours, he had been doing scans to about several dozen light-years outside the solar system. He wasn't under orders to, but it was the military in him that made him do so, and it was part of his duties to maintain a constant vigil. He wasn't about to let his guard down for one instant.

Something blipped on his console, and he checked to see what it was. He blinked. "Commander?"

Trip looked up from the Captain's chair. "Yeah, Malcolm?"

"I…I think you should see this."

The Chief Engineer made his way over to the tactical board. "I've got about several different things to deal with, so make it brief."

Malcolm simply pointed to his screen. "I'm picking up something on long range scans. Now, I need a second opinion, just in case I'm wrong."

Tucker looked at the image, and paled. "I don't think you're wrong. That looks like a fleet of ships, and the _Crusher's _with 'em." He looked at Sato. "Better call the Cap'n. Malcolm, send down these images. And keep your eye on them. If they so much as twitch, lemme know."

"Aye, sir."

Trip went back to the Captain's chair, sinking into it wearily. "Somethin' tells me this is gonna get worse before it gets better," he muttered to himself.

* * *

NASA; National Astronomic Space Administration. The hub of the United States Space Program, it was a place where those who wanted to reach for the stars could congregate, and think of ways to do just that.

Now it was the center of the largest concentration of military advisors, scientists, and researchers in the nation. After the meeting between Archer and Anderson, Mayweather had piloted them all directly to Houston, where a number of military officials had congregated for some reason or other. The President of the United States was now currently watching via a screen from the White House. The Heads of each branch of the U.S. army were present via video monitors. Captain Archer, T-Pol, and Mayweather were sitting at the end of the conference table. And they were all staring at the images that _Enterprise_ was sending down.

Reed's voice echoed throughout the entire room. _"These are the vessels at the time of first contact. They have been making several changes in their formation, so we're not entirely sure-"_

_"Enough with this vessel formation bullshit!"_ The President exploded, catching the bridge crew off guard. T-Pol arched an eyebrow. _"What are we dealing with?"_

The head of NASA, a man by the name of Jason Boon, stood up. "Captain Archer and I agree on this. It's an invasion fleet."

_"What's it's size?"_

Another researcher stood up. We're estimating around fifty to a hundred-"

"It's roughly the size of our eastern seaboard, Mr. President," Boon interrupted impatiently, shooting the man in question a look that stated, _Sit down_. The man did so, gulping rather wildly.

_"Jason, we didn't see this thing coming!?"_

"Well, our object collision budget is around one billion dollars, which allows us to watch three percent of the sky. It's not enough to go search for extraterrestrial life. That's for SETI. And also, begging your pardon sir, but it's a big ass sky."

"And the _Crusher?_"

Archer stood up. "That was nothing. It was probably the size of my ship, and about the same armaments. It wasn't ready for another ship to come and battle them."

_"Are they…going to attack us?"_

Boon looked at the only alien in the room. "Sub-commander?"

T-Pol got up. "We're coordinating with your scientists to find that out even as we speak. We should have an answer for you within five hours."

The President finally asked the question Archer, indeed, the entire room, had been waiting for. _"What kind of damage are looking at?"_

Archer took a deep breath. "Total, Mr. President," he said. "This is a fleet that is considered a 'planet-killer.' The end of mankind. If they plan to do what we think they'll do, there won't be anything left here. Not even bacteria."

_"My god. What do we do?"_

Boon was ready to reply, but the sound of approaching footsteps could be heard coming from outside the room. Immediately, the back part of the room cleared enough for a book-wormish looking man to run in. "We have two weeks," he gasped, "before they attack Earth."

Archer took the information. "How do you know?" he asked.

"Because they sent it themselves."

Archer nodded. "I don't think they care too much about our being here. They want us to die. And that there is nothing we can do to stop them."

The President looked at Archer. _"Now, I don't know too much about you people, and I know I can't order you to do anything, but I think you'll find a way."_

"We'll certainly do our best."

* * *

Wheeler pulled open the Geo Cruiser's primary solar pack socket, and immediately recoiled. "Kwame, I think we're going to need a new power pack. This one is pretty much fried beyond recognition. What about the reserve?"

Kwame pulled off the other lid. "It is still in good order," he replied. "In fact, it looks like it will just need to rest for a while. In the meantime, though, I think we're pretty much grounded."

Wheeler grunted, getting up. "Guess we'll let Gi make a new one for us. Meanwhile, let's get this one out, and clear it out. It'll make one less thing for us to do later."

Kwame nodded. "Clash, what do you make of the other vessel?" he asked.

Clash stepped out, astonished. "This thing is environmentally sound, and definitely more advanced than anything Blight could ever come up with. I think I found the weapons systems, and their communication grid, though I can't be sure."

Wheeler sighed. "My kingdom for a Rosetta Stone," he muttered yet again. "Could you hand me a crowbar?"

"Sure." The Commando handed him the required tool. "Damage that bad?" he asked.

"We're going to need to replace the solar battery, and get replacement parts for the exhaust port itself." With a succession of grunts, Wheeler pried the remains of the pack from the compartment. "That's the last time we ever push the Geo Cruiser to red line."

Kwame nodded. "I wonder where Ma-Ti went," he said, changing the subject.

"Probably showing Laura her room, and a whole lot more," Clash snickered.

Wheeler looked up sharply. "What they're doing is none of our business," he snapped. "Now, could you hand me that wrench?"

"Sure. And for the record, it doesn't mean we can't hypothesize about what is happening."

"And I would love for everyone to get off my back about Linka. Because as of this moment, I'm getting off Kwame's back about Gi! Is that completely acceptable to the rest of you? Now can I have the wrench?"

"Okay, okay! Don't bite our heads off!" Clash handed Wheeler the tool in question, watching him speculatively. "What's wrong, kid? You're usually not this jumpy."

Wheeler looked up again. "I have just piloted the Geo Cruiser through the Grand Canyon at break-neck speed, while an alien from another world fired at us the whole way. I have hung onto the vessel of said alien, and taken control of said vessel. For lack of a better phrase, I don't like being shot at. It makes me grumpy. Oh, yeah, that grenade came in handy."

"Good to know. How are we going to fix the exhaust port?"  
Wheeler sighed. "I don't know yet. We may have to order replacement parts."

_"Wheeler, Kwame, Clash. Linka is ready to begin the briefing."_

"Understood. Come on, guys. Let's see what the cutter can find out."

----

Ma-Ti set the bag he was carrying down on the floor. "I hope this room meet's your approval," he said softly, looking at Laura.

Laura smiled. "It's…different, but I like it." She looked around. This is more room here than back home," she confessed. "What am I supposed to do with all of this space?"

"Probably find the best way to set your room up to suit your tastes."

"Good point."

Ma-Ti chuckled, then said, "Well, I should go. Let you get settled in…"

"No! No, please don't go. I really want to get to know you better." Laura suddenly blushed. "What I mean is- what I meant to say was-" she began stammering

Ma-Ti laughed, his eyes twinkling merrily. "Now I see why you were teased," he said mischievously. "Do you always start to stammer when I come up in any topic of conversation?"

If it was possible, Laura became even redder. "'Fraid so. Then again, you stammered a great deal when we first met, all those years ago."

"Yes, but I had just met you, and I had just made a suggestion to camp out on your lands. And I had been confronted with a vision of beauty on that day." He blushed too, realizing what he had just said. "Did I say that out loud?"

Laura giggled. "Yes, you did, good sir. Not that I mind. I just don't think I'm beautiful. I'm not what most people would call beautiful. They don't call a girl who works with horses beautiful."

"Well, to this boy, you are an angel. And the fact you work with horses is perfectly all right with me." He hugged her. "Have you met Suchi?" he asked suddenly.

"No."

"He is right behind you."

Laura turned around, and promptly yelped in surprise when Suchi jumped on her shoulder, chattering. She quickly calmed down, and scratched the little monkey's chin. "You sure gave me a shock there, little one. Friend of yours?"

"Yes. He has been by my side for years. I found him, and took care of him. I have been stuck with him ever since."

"Well, hello, Suchi. It's very nice to meet you." Suchi chattered happily, a silly smile on his face. "He's like you, only hairier, and shorter."

"Oh, so now you're comparing me to a monkey? I am completely heartbroken." Ma-Ti's eyes of mischief belied the look of anguish, though.

"Ah, poor baby. I kind of find monkeys cute," Laura cooed, moving forward until she was only an inch from the Heart Planeteer, her eyes showing a definite emotion that sent shivers up his spine. "Perhaps I'll put you in a cage…of my own making." It sounded corny, even to you, but she didn't really care. It had the desired effect of nailing Ma-Ti, figuratively, in his place.

Suchi rolled his eyes, doing the monkey equivalent of a chuckle before hopping off Laura's shoulder and walking out of the room. He knew when to give a person his or her privacy.

Ma-Ti felt the butterflies in his stomach do a dance routine. His heart pounded in his chest, and his vocal cords were paralyzed. Laura, he noted with whatever part of his brain that was still functioning, was breathing a little faster than usual, and had begun shifting from one foot to another nervously. Her eyes, however, did not leave Ma-Ti's.

Slowly, she leaned forward, and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. Both their eyes slid closed after a moment, and they wrapped their arms around each other, deepening the kiss.

Ma-Ti came to a singular conclusion. Her cage was definitely worth being caught in.

_"Ma-Ti. Linka has performed the autopsy on the corpse of the _Klahsef_, and has the results of it_. _Could you report to the Crystal Chamber, please?"_

Reluctantly, Ma-Ti and Laura disengaged, the former regretting the loss of that cage. "Talk about bad timing," Ma-Ti grumbled good naturedly, untangling himself from Laura. "Guess I have to go. I'll see you at dinner?"

"Hmmm? Dinner?"

Ma-Ti chuckled. "See you later."

"Later," she replied, dazed still as he walked out of the room. She sank onto her bed, and simply stared at the wall. "The boy sure knows how to kiss," was all she said, smiling a little.

* * *

"Relief efforts are going smoothly, but there are structural fires in some of the areas, impeding progress." T-Pol handed Archer a data pad. "We also have a damage assessment as to how much of the planet was hit."

Archer skimmed the statistics briefly, now seriously spooked. Every area hit had had a small number of civilians near at the time. Which immediately made Archer suspicious. "Does any of this seem strange to you?"

T-Pol looked rather grim. "Attacking a planet incapable of defending itself, just for the sole purpose of causing death and destruction?" she asked. "Having an invasion fleet standing by to wipe out all life on this world?"

"No, look at the pattern of damage, the loss of life."

T-Pol took the pad back, and looked it over again. Her eyes widened, the only sign of her surprise. "This isn't logical," she muttered. "Why attack, and not hit anything vital?"

"Because," Archer replied, hitting a button to open the door to the master control room, "this was an early shot at these people, so as to see if they had any defense against them. Maybe they were trying to take someone out."

"And they may have succeeded." Anderson walked up. "We received word from the head of the Japanese military that the Digi-Destined are missing."

"Digi…Destined?" T-Pol echoed.

"They're a group of kids that saved our necks a couple of months back. Beat some really big monster or something. Now, I don't see why they would have tried to take them out. Without their teammates, they're pretty much canon fodder like the rest of us."

"So they attacked to see if there was anything else capable of fighting back against them."

"And _Enterprise _was lucky enough to arrive before anymore damage was done."

"Exactly."

The three walked up to Boon. "Anything yet?" Archer asked.

"We've got a few things, but so far, we're alone here." Boon headed over to one of the consoles. "Get me Fort Baxter. Tell them to have their ground forces on stand by, just in case the Sunak decide to wage a ground war."

"You got it, boss."

Anderson looked back up. "Private, get in contact with NORAD and SETI. I want a constant update on our air defenses from here on out. Lieutenant, contact the head of the Boston Naval District."

"Aye, sir!"

Archer watched as the two subordinates scurried to carry out their marching orders, then turned back to Anderson. "Do you really think that the Sunak are going to fight according to Earth's current combat strength?"

"No, but I'm going to be ready in case they decide to. I'm not going to get caught off guard by this. Could you excuse me?"

"Certainly." Archer stepped back over to T-Pol as the Captain began speaking to yet another subordinate. "T-Pol, get in contact with the ship. Have Reed keep tabs on that fleet. If it so much as twitches, let us know."

"Understood, sir." T-Pol pulled out her communicator. "T-Pol to _Enterprise._"

_"Trip here."_

"Have Mr. Reed target long range sensors on the Sunak Fleet. Keep us informed of any changes in their formation."

_"Understood. _Enterprise _out."_

* * *

"Hello. I'm here to see the occupant of Room 346, Miss Jackson," Belldandy said to the nurse.

"Ah, yes, Miss Belldandy. Always on the dot, are you?"

"Yes. I find it soothing." _'Not to mention prudent.'_

Jackson pointed in the general direction of the room. "You know where to find it," she said. "So, how are your sisters? And Keiichi?"

"They're doing rather well, now that you ask. I'm here for…unfinished business, though." Oh, how cliché did that sound? Guess she was turning into James Bond.

Jackson knew what she was talking about. She was the only human to know what unfinished business Belldandy had. So she didn't ask questions, just returned to her work. Belldandy headed down the hallway.

Each step brought back every moment of that faithful night after the fight. After Gaia had left, Belldandy had returned without the Sentinels, and had gone back to that alley for the decimated girl. She had rushed her to the Hospital that had been in the vicinity.

Still walking, she allowed herself to take another trip down memory lane…

**Eleven years ago**

Belldandy ran through the main entrance of the hospital, the young woman in her arms. _"Medic!" _she shouted. _"Someone, please help her!"_

One particular woman ran up. She took one look at the woman in Belldandy's arms. "What happened?" she asked. "Someone, get me a stretcher!"  
"Somebody attacked her," Belldandy explained, remembering to pretend to breathe in and out heavily as she did so. "I found her in an alleyway near the Darson Apartment Building."

The nurse looked up. "She's got a pulse, and her breathing is regular. She looks like she's in shock, though. Ma'am, can you hear me?" she asked the unseeing woman.

The woman was silent. Just as Belldandy knew she would be.

"Miss? We're going to take her to be checked over more thoroughly. If you would like to wait…"

"Yes, thank you. Just…see if you can do anything for her." Belldandy watched as the woman was carted away, surrounded by a small army of medical interns, and doctors.

The nurse stayed in long enough to look a her and ask, "You said the Darson Apartment Building? The one that almost burned to the ground?" Belldandy's nod answered. "Thank you." Then she followed the rest of them in.

Several hours later, Belldandy was still waiting. She had a coffee in her hands, and was starting to fidget slightly. What was taking so long?

As if on cue, the doors to the emergency room opened, and the nurse she had spoken to earlier walked out. "Anything?" Belldandy asked.

The nurse shook her head. "We were able to reset her arm, and repair the damage to her back without any loss of her mobility. But we might as well have left her crippled. Her mind is…gone."

"No chance of recovery."  
"Not even the remotest chance of a chance of a recovery. She's little better off than a vegetable, and the vegetable might have won every test of intelligence we gave it." The nurse looked at the ER. "She's been move to ICU for the time being," she added, then turned back to Belldandy. "What happened to her? I know there's more to this than simply the fire. I found no burn marks, no signs of smoke inhalation-"

Belldandy held up a hand to stop the narration. "Can we speak in private? What I'm going to tell you is completely far-fetched."

"Sure, come this way. Oh, by the way, I'm Karen Jackson."

"Belldandy."

Once they had found an isolated spot, Belldandy told her everything. About Yggdrasil, the fire, and how she had come across the woman., everything.

Jackson only asked one or two questions, but listened in silence. Belldandy even showed her a demonstration of her powers, so as to dispel any doubt the nurse would have. Not that it was needed. Jackson's eyes were open, and it allowed the Goddess to see the acceptance in them.

After that, Belldandy had seen the woman before leaving, swearing an oath. She would stop at nothing to defeat Sakar, feeling a great swell of emotion rip through her. Thanking Jackson for everything, she went through a mirror, and flew upward, trying to understand the emotion she was feeling.

She was back in Heaven, and almost halfway to the primary building of Yggdrasil when she realized what it was. It was an emotion that was completely foreign to her kind and gentle heart.

Hatred.

**Present Day**

Belldandy halted in front of Room 346, remembering what she would see, and harboring a faint hope that there would be a change. She knew there wouldn't be, but she still harbored that faint hope. Bracing herself, she walked through the door.

The room was bare, with nothing more than a bed, a television, a dresser, and a heart monitor. It's walls were bare of decorations, and had an air of depression about it, and for good reason. For the only occupant in the room wouldn't have noticed any of it at all.

Belldandy walked up, and sat down in the chair across from the woman. "Hi, there." She wasn't expecting a response to that.

For more than an hour, she sat there, talking about her life, the sound of her voice echoing in the small room, as she tried, like she always did, to talk the woman out of her stupor. Like every other time she tried, it didn't work.

Sighing, Belldandy got back up, and placed a hand on the woman's shoulder. "It's almost over," she said softly. "Soon, Sakar will be gone from your people's lives. This, I promise you." With that, she left the room, preparing to make her way to fourth street.

And the woman, alone in her own world, stirred for a moment, and whispered, so softly that no one could hear her,

"…son…"

* * *

Linka activated the Planet Vision, having had taken the time to learn the various systems in the Crystal Chamber throughout the years, and waited patiently until the rest of the Planeteers had filed in, as well as Commando Clash. Then she put an image of the creature on the screen.

"So what have you found out?" Kwame asked, his expression one of concern.

Linka magnified the upper torso of the _Klahsef, _admiring the unique structure of the creature"It's structure is very similar to that of the Dragonfly, but there are some significant differences." She pointed to the wings. "The wing structure is set in such a way, that it can beat it's wings at around the same speed as the hummingbird. It also can attain speeds of the peregrine falcon. How it is able to do that, I do not know."

"And that needle?" Captain Planet asked. After being healed, he hadn't returned to their rings to recharge, but had instead stuck around to see what the Planeteer of Wind had found out. After all, if there were anymore of them there, then he was going to have to know their weaknesses even more so than the Planeteers.

Linka brought the rear of the _Klahsef_ into view. The interest now tempered with a healthy bit of concern. "I am not entirely sure," she said. "But the best guess I can come up with is that it's some kind of stinger. If you are impaled by it, it will inject a potent dose of poison into your bloodstream, effectively killing you in about three seconds."

"Good lord. Is it something from Dr. Blight?" Gaia's face bespoke her fear for Planet's life.

Linka shook her head. "It is not a creation of Doctor Blight. As far as I can tell, with the exception of the wings, which were augmented using environmentally sound techniques, this creature is as it should be."

"Environmentally sound? Then why is it trying to kill Captain Planet?"

"I do not know. Wheeler? Did our guest say anything when you were on his ship?"

Wheeler nodded. "He called himself Zephyer, a member of some race called the Telazis. He's part of an organization called the Sunak Confederation. But I don't think we'll get anything else out of him. He isn't going to answer any more questions. I'm about ready to try and pry more info out of him, if you want me too." Gaia's nod answered his question, and he turned to go back

"Wait!" Gi suddenly exclaimed. "What was it he said while he was chasing us? Something about 'being under the sway of a dangerous being."  
"'You see, you are servants to a dangerous being, and are under her sway.' I think that's what he said." Wheeler looked at them all. "He was talking about Gaia."

Planet nodded. "That's what Clash thought, too. And I think they may have met Zarm at some point, and it didn't go too well."  
"No, Zarm wouldn't be that vicious. They would focus their attention on him, and only halt his advances. They wouldn't try to kill him."

Gaia was silent as the debate raged, deep in thought, before muttering, "Maybe it's him…"

That brought all conversation to a halt. "'Him?'" Linka enquired.

The Spirit of Earth looked up. "I was just thinking about someone else who could these Sunak could be going after."

"And who would that be?" Ma-Ti asked.

Gaia hesitated for a second, before saying only one name. A name that, for some unknown reason, sent shivers down Wheeler's spine. A name that spoke of death.

"Sakar."

* * *

Hoggish Greedily was bored out of his mind.

After the Planeteers foiled his newest plan, he and Rigger had returned home to their little, beaten down shack of a house, the wind taken out of their sails for the time being. Or in Greedily's case, probably longer. _'Maybe Grandpappy was right,'_ he thought. _'He's an eco-freak, and yet, he's rich! What do I have to do to reach that same wealth? Lose weight?'_

A sound in the other room caught his attention, and his head looked up. "Rigger, see what that was," he ordered.

"Sure thing boss." Rigger got up, heading for the source of the sound.

He needn't have bothered.

The door exploded in their direction, catching the scrawny man directly in the face. He and the door hurtled to the other side of the room, slamming into the wall. He moaned once, then fell unconscious. Shocked, Greedily looked to where the door had once been.

A man stepped through, his eyes on the fat man. "Hoggish Greedily, I presume?" he asked in mock curiosity. "My apologies for the door, and the wall, but all of your entrance points were locked. So, I decided to knock." He looked behind him. "I guess I knocked a little too hard."

Greedily gulped. "W-who are you?" he stuttered fearfully.

The intruder chuckled. "The being who holds your friend Rigger's life in his hand." With a simple gesture, he brought the unconscious body of Greedily's right hand man to him. "Now, I need some information from you. Will you give it to me, or would you rather I kill your friend here, and get it from you while you are pleading for your life?" To empathize his point, he squeezed Rigger's neck with only a fraction of his strength.

Rigger began coughing and wheezing, trying to get sufficient air into his lungs, but not succeeding.

Greedily couldn't handle it. "Alright, alright! What do you want?"

Smiling, the man dropped Rigger, where he began to frantically gulp in air. "Excellent."  
"What do…what do you want to know?"

The stranger walked right up to him. "As you may or may not be aware, I am a spirit." He chuckled as Greedily's eyes widened. "There are species out that call me in particular, 'The Death Dealer.' But in the whole, we are also a race of listeners. We listen."

Hoggish Greedily gulped as Sakar, the almighty Spirit of Death, grabbed his shirt, and lifted his three hundred plus body out of it's seat effortlessly. "Right now, Mr. Greedily, you have my complete attention. I want to hear everything you know about Wheeler Sloane, and Linka Ivanova."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

"Sakar?" Clash asked, confused. "Is there another Spirit running around that we don't know about, Gaia?"

Gaia shook her head. "No, he's not a Spirit…at least, I hope he isn't a Spirit." She sighed, her eyes conveying her years. "I fear that he is much worse."  
"Worse?" Kwame echoed. "How can he be worse than Zarm?"

"Zarm wants to turn Earth into a place where the land is unsuitable for sustaining life, and making humanity dependent on devices that would keep them alive. But Sakar wants to destroy the Planet Earth, wiping it off the face of the universe. And he has tried to do just that for a long time." The Spirit of Earth leaned against one of the consoles, her face growing taut.

'_That name,'_ Wheeler thought. '_I feel like I should know it, but I've never heard of him before.'_

"How powerful is he?" Linka asked, her own appetite for knowledge sharpening into a desperate need. After all, this was the first time she had ever heard of someone who even Gaia feared. "Is his power like yours?"

"He's more powerful than myself and Zarm put together, though his powers are like ours. They are the combined abilities of nature and pollution, allowing him to do inestimable damage."

Ma-Ti, having heard that last part, asked the question they all had wanted to ask almost immediately. "How long has he been here?"

Gaia once more hesitated. "He's been on Earth for a thousand years," she finally confessed reluctantly.

The Crystal Chamber grew silent as everyone processed this. "A thousand years," Planet muttered. "And Earth's still around."

Kwame nodded. "I am guessing something happened that made sure we could all stand here," he stated.

The Spirit of Earth nodded, truly impressed by their calm demeanor. She knew several teams of Planeteers that had shown more fear than her. "Yes. Several things, in fact." She paused. "Do you all remember when I told you the story of Don Porkaloin?" Five nods answered her question. "Well, except for the part involving Captain Planet, it was completely true. I told you that many people would gladly harness the power of the elements to protect this world. And others have. But Planeteers back then also had another duty. They had to protect Earth from Sakar."

"But without Captain Planet, how could they stop a creature like that?" Gi asked.

"Hey, let me tell you about when Zarm and I first met with him! Then I'll tell you how they fought him!" Sitting down in a chair, she began to speak.

"Sakar arrived on Earth almost a thousand years ago, without any warning. He landed in a small village, just off Stonehenge, causing a small panic from the population. His landing was seen as a herald from Hell. Unfortunately, Hell had nothing to do with it. In fact, Hell might have even been preferable compared to the carnage he was capable of inflicting."

"Both myself and Zarm had, by this time, come to realize that our powers could send the planet into another Ice Age, so we had decided that we would select humans to do our work, and only reveal ourselves in the greatest of environmental disasters. So when we saw him, we both tried to win his support. If either of us could sway him to our side, then we would be able to save the world, or send it into a future where pollution was everywhere. However, Sakar rejected us both, saying that he had come here to destroy Earth, and kill the two of us. Then, he attacked."

"I don't know how long the battle raged, but it marked quite possibly the first, and only time, the two of us had ever joined forces, for all the good it did us. Sakar beat us with only a fraction of his power, having fun while he did so, then prepared to unleash his power on the planet itself. And neither myself or Zarm were capable of stopping him."

"But something did," Wheeler stated darkly, leaning against one of the consoles. His tone suggested that he wasn't too surprised by this. Nor did he seem very happy.

Gaia pondered Wheeler's attitude as she replied, "Before his attack hit, a powerful field of energy suddenly erupted out of nowhere, slamming him with the power of the planet itself, something I had never seen happen before in my entire life. But that wasn't the shocking thing. The shocking thing was that a voice suddenly boomed out of nowhere. It said something that I couldn't understand."

Everybody looked at her, silent. "Well, what happened next?" Gi asked.

"Sakar, I believe, said that he would stop this 'prophecy' before it could ever begin. Then he peeled off, and started to search for something. I didn't realize what, or should I say who, it was until I arrived in the capital of the Holy Roman Empire."

"Who was it?"

Gaia looked at Linka, then Wheeler. "The first Planeteers of Fire and Wind."

Linka gasped, her hands coming to cover her mouth, horrified beyond belief. "That is so horrible!"  
"And there was nothing you could do?" Ma-Ti asked.

Gaia shook her head. "That didn't stop someone from doing something about it."

Intrigued, everyone got themselves comfortable. Gaia also adjusted her position, then began speaking again.

"Sakar found them after an hour of searching, and a fight erupted between the three. The two Planeteers were able to hold him off, and actually did some damage to him, something two spirits weren't capable of doing at full strength. However, he was too powerful, and after a long, drawn out battle, he killed both of them."

"It was, quite possibly, one of the worst things to happen at that time. They had a son that they had sent to a nearby village for training as a knight. He was a red head, like you, Wheeler, and just as tenacious in his job. Sakar found him too, after three hours of searching. He would have killed him as well, except that, like I said, someone intervened. Or, I should say, two people."

"One of them was Queen Serenity, having arrived from the Moon Kingdom two weeks after the Negaverse began attacking the outer planets, was trying to shore up the crumbling foundations of the Empire. The other was a white wizard, who had come as an ambassador from some other kingdom, to try and form diplomatic relations with Charlemagne. However, they would achieve neither. When they saw Sakar, the two moved to act."

"Calling upon the power of the Silver Imperium Crystal, Serenity forced the monster back with the powers of purity. The White Wizard then cast an extremely powerful spell. A spell that was powerful enough to force Sakar to flee, swearing that he would hunt the child down until he killed him. When I arrived, they informed me as to why…"

**A thousand years ago**

"Sir, what did you do?" Gaia demanded, staring at Serenity and the White Wizard. She held the child in her arms. "Why did Sakar flee? _How_ did you cause him to flee?"

Merlin turned to look at the Spirit of Earth, her gaze grim. "The only way I could," he replied. "I have cast a spell that will protect that child, and his descendents, from that madman until their child's ninth year." He allowed a ghost of a smile to flash over his bearded face. "The time will come when their descendents will be strong enough to fight Sakar, but this is not the time. You, however, can take steps to slow his advance."

"Steps? What steps?"

"You need to find a way to bring the Ring Bearers together. You have to give them the ability to protect both the environment and the people from those who do evil. I won't be able to for long, as I must prepare for the invasion of Beryl and her forces from the Negaverse." She gave Gaia a look that stilled her for a second. "Fire and Wind must be trained. The children must be trained. The powers of Fire are hereditary, although a secondary will be chosen, thus resetting the prophecy. It will be passed down from father to son, growing stronger with each passing generation. Each one will find the bearer of Wind, who will be female, and they will fall in love. It isn't destiny, just a simple fact." Serenity looked at Merlin, who bowed once. "Contact Sailor Pluto if you get the chance. She will explain everything."

**Present Day**

"She was right," Gaia said, coming out of her memories to stare at her attentive audience. "Fire and Wind were forever interlinked, and always within the same area. And always, when their son reached his ninth year, Sakar always came for them, and destroyed that boy's family. So, I followed Serenity's advice, and made preparations."

"What did you do?" Planet asked. "I mean, you couldn't have rested on your laurels all these years."

"I gave each Planeteer different abilities that coincided with their element. For instance, Earth not only had the ability to start earthquakes, but stop them as well. He could also hold buildings together by halting the tremors in their info structures, which is a very precise art. A more common use of his powers were shooting rock arrows."

"Oh. What about the others?"

"Water was capable of creating jets of water by calling the molecules from the air itself. She could also stop tidal waves, or cause the water in a person to boil like it was a pot of hot water over a burner."

"What a pretty picture that makes," Gi stated, shuddering.

"What could Heart do?" Ma-Ti asked tentatively. His look said that he didn't want to know, but he had to know.

Gaia hesitated. "Heart's telepathic powers were enhanced to near lethal capacity. He or she could not only talk to animals, and sooth people who were not calm, but could also cause excruciating pain by using those powers against those who served Sakar. If he or she pushed hard enough, that power could kill as well."

"Ah." Ma-Ti's face had paled considerably.

"I didn't like it either. But I had to do something extremely drastic. But as the years went by, I began altering the powers of future rings, toning down their strength, until I was able to complete the final rings."

"The ones we hold?"

"No. Yours were developed to call upon Captain Planet, and protect the environment. Nothing more, nothing less."

Linka stood up. "What about Fire…and Wind? Were they given advanced abilities as well?"

"Oh, nothing was changed. Your rings are in fact the originals, the first to be held. Fire and Wind were capable of manipulating their respective elements with uncanny ease. Fire could create sharp, bladed weapons with his power, which was his primary mode of combat, though he could create fires as large as a building if he needed to, and control them with an ease that I had never seen. Wind was capable of creating concentrated wind blasts, ranging from gentle breezes to powerful tornadoes. She could even halt the flow of wind with just a thought. She was also an expert with staff type weapons. Alone, each was quite able to stand up to Sakar's agents. Together, they were capable of holding off Sakar for ever lengthening periods of time.

For a thousand years, the family line and Sakar were locked in a sort of Cold War, heating up once every twenty years, then starting all over again. And then…something happened eleven years ago. It was on the day of the two current Planeteers of Fire and Wind celebrated their son's ninth birthday."

"That's good to hear. What happened to their son afterwards?" Wheeler asked.

At that, the Spirit of Earth felt tears welling up in her eyes. "I was never able to find him," she said. "On that day, Sakar attacked them at a local apartment building, destroying their residence, and killing almost everybody in the complex. Wind managed to get out of there, but was found almost half an hour later. She fought, and gave her little boy time to get away. After that…" At that, the Spirit of Earth fell silent.

"After that, what?" Wheeler wanted to know.

"I don't know. Planet Vision had suddenly stopped projecting at the end of the battle between Fire and the Death-Dealer. I went to see if there was a chance that I could stop Sakar. What I found was the impossible."

"When I arrived on the scene, Sakar was about ready to rape a young woman, who was standing near the fallen body of the Planeteer of Wind. And she was unable to fight back, or so I thought. I distracted him, on the off chance that she could get away. A few others showed up, and a battle ensued. A battle that almost got them all killed, except for one thing. One thing that no one thought would ever happen. The woman unleashed a blast of energy the likes that only Sakar could have done, knocking him out of the ballpark, figuratively speaking."

"So Sakar was defeated for the first time," Clash supplied. "And for some reason, it set off a sequence of events that's accumulated to what's happening now."

"Precisely." Gaia's gaze became distant. "It's one of the most devastating moments of my long life, one that still haunts me to this very day."

Out of the corner of his eye, Planet saw Wheeler get up, and walk out of the Crystal Chamber, his gaze like a thundercloud. He saw Linka get up as well, and follow him out. Planet kept his mouth shut. Those two had a lot to talk about, as this concerned them more than the rest of them.

"So, what do we do now?" Kwame asked.

Planet answered for Gaia. "We pray, and contact Zarm. Let him know that Sakar is still out there."

"Agreed."

"Now I'm going to take a rest. Remember…_The Power is yours!_" With those words, Captain Planet separated into the five elements, and returned to their rings. Everyone took that as a note that the meeting was over.

As the meeting broke up, Clash saw Ma-Ti walk out, obviously heading to where Laura was. He didn't grin, just silently wished them both the best of luck. Instead, he sidled up to Gaia. "Do you think these Planeteers can do anything to Sakar?" he asked. Gaia simply shook her head. "Didn't think so."

----

Wheeler stormed out of the hut, his entire body trembling with barely repressed rage. He had noted that Suchi had gotten out of his way, so he figured that he was looking particularly dangerous. At that point, he didn't care. His mind was on what Gaia had said. And the scary thing was, he wasn't angry with her. He was angry at himself. 

'_I should have know! I always knew I was different than the rest of them, but I never listened to myself!'_

"Wheeler! Wait! Please, wait!"  
Wheeler didn't even slow down, didn't even turn around. "Please, Linka! I need some time alone!"

"Would you just stop for minute and talk to me?"

Wheeler barely slowed down as he headed for the edge of the island. "I really don't want to talk to anyone at this particular moment!" he stated furiously.

With a burst of speed, Linka caught up with him, and grabbed his arm. "Well, that is too bad! You are going to talk to me about this!"

Whirling around, Wheeler stared at her. "Let go of my arm, Linka!"  
"Not until you promise to talk to me!"  
"Let go!"

"No!"

The Fire Planeteer yanked his arm, but Linka held on. He yanked more violently, trying to free himself from her grasp. However he yanked too hard and over balanced himself. With a yelp of surprise, he pitched backward, with Linka still attached to him, down to the ground. He landed with a thud.

Unfortunately for Wheeler, Linka fell on top of him.

The blond smiled. "Now will you listen?" she asked pleasantly.

Wheeler tried to push her off, but she refused to budge one inch. He sighed, looking up at her. "Well, it appears that I have no choice in the matter."

"Good. Just how I like you. Helpless." Linka's smile faded. "Look, Wheeler, I know you must be angry, and I don't think any of us blame you, but you must think rationally."

"Rationally?!" Wheeler stared at her with a look of shock. "Gaia has just informed us that your life is in danger, that an all powerful being is most likely going to destroy the world, and you want me to think _rationally_?"

"I am not the only one who is in danger, Yankee! You are, too!"

Wheeler almost, almost, roared in exasperation. Did the others think he had a selfish streak or something? "I don't care! I knew the risks of becoming a Planeteer, and I also learned what would happen if I didn't! But I also learned what you guys would be like if I didn't, and that was the reason I decided to come back!"

The Wind Planeteer remembered exactly what Wheeler was talking about. It had occurred during the beginning of the New Year, several years ago. Wheeler had entered a time portal into the past, where he had altered history by stopping himself from obtaining his ring. But the history that he found himself in was one where Earth had fallen to the effects of global warming, and every other form of pollution.

So began a journey of discovery that would reveal Wheeler's own strength of character, and he decided that he wanted to continue on being a Planeteer. Returning to his own time, he had reunited with his friends, and helped save the day. The fact that he had come back for them, to be with them, had touched her more than she would have been willing to admit at the time. And now, after hearing Wheeler state that aloud, she understood that given the choice, he would have done it all over again.

Linka put a hand on his cheek. "Oh, Wheeler," she said softly. "Where we are concerned, myself most of all, why are you always so selfless? You think nothing of your own survival, and yet you will always do everything in your power to protect us. Why do you do it?"

Wheeler didn't say anything for a long time. When he did speak, his voice was soft. "Because I don't want to lose you guys. You're the only family I really have. I don't know what I'd do without any of you. And I care for you, Linka. More than words can say." He let Linka get up, then got up himself, dusting off the back of his jeans.

"But what about Sakar?" Linka asked. "Gaia said there is no way to defeat him."  
"We'll find a way to defeat him. I mean, we're Planeteers. We can beat just about anything." Wheeler pulled Linka into a hug. "You just have to have faith."

Linka snuggled into Wheeler's chest. "You are right, Yankee. We must have faith." She gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Do you want to see the sunset?" she asked.

Wheeler grinned. "I would love to, babeuoska." Taking her hand, they started walking to the edge of the beach, their minds in more peace than before.

"I do have one question."

"What, Linka?"

"How long have you had your shirt tucked in? All of the way, I mean?"

"Since this morning. Don't ask me why, but I noticed that my shirt was half in, half out, and I've been wondering why the rest of you let me walk around like a drunk all these years."

The Russian beauty shrugged. "It was no big deal. After all, there were many times when Gi wanted to look like a slob. Curse our parents and their rigid upbringing."

The two of them shared a good laugh at this as they watched the sunset. After a while, Linka turned to look at Wheeler, and saw that his eyes were staring in awe. "Beautiful…" he murmured.

"_Da_, it is," Linka agreed, her arm coming around to loop around the American's waist. Wheeler's reciprocated her motions, and held her close.

Neither moved from that spot for a long time.

----

Kwame sat down in the chair in his room, his gaze on his ring. It was hard to believe that the Planeteers had to be more than environmentalists, but also warriors against an unstoppable force. And now, warriors were needed to fight both Sakar _and_ the Sunak. He wished he had become a fisherman. His stress levels were going to go through the roof with this one.

Lifting his head, his gaze landed on the pictures of his family and friends. One of them, with him and Gi dunking Wheeler in the pool, Linka and Ma-Ti laughing at the expression on Wheeler's face. Then the picture that he cherished as more than any of them, as it had one person in it, Gi, holding a small dog in her arms, a look of pure joy on her face. That picture was the one that soothed his nerves whenever he had a bad day, or had a lot to think about.

Even as he looked at it, a knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. "Come in," he called out, looking up.

Gi walked in, shutting the door behind her as she did so. "Are you okay?"

Kwame smiled, looking into her oriental eyes. "I am fine, but I am not so sure of Wheeler." He got up, his smile fading. "He and Linka are both at risk, and I know for a fact that he does not care what happens to himself. He will be more concerned for Linka's safety, and the rest of us."  
Gi sighed, walking up to him. "I know what they're feeling," she confessed. "I find myself concerned as well. I mean, Wheeler is nowhere near as knowledgeable of the effects of pollution on Nature as the rest of us, but he's the most passionate when it comes to protecting the Earth, all the same. But he's always more concerned with our safety than his own."

"He sees us as his family," Kwame explained, "with the exception of his mother, he had no other family that he could contact. His father was drunk most of the time, and yelling at him all the time. He had a hard life."

Gi nodded, understanding what he meant. "He sees us as brothers and sisters," she whispered, sitting down on the bed, "and he would protect us fiercely. I can understand that. We've been together so long that we have become a family." She grinned. "It was only a matter of time before we started viewing each other as more than simply friends." Suddenly, her gaze became a little more shy. "What about you, Kwame?" she asked.

The young man blushed, though with his dark skin, you could never tell. "Well, I think of all of you as part of my family," he said quickly. "I would like to think I would protect you all with my life."

"No, no. I meant, is there anyone, other than your family, that has a special place in your heart? Someone who you would sacrifice everything for?"

The Earth Planeteer began praying for an Eco-emergency to occur. He did not want to sound like a fool in front of Gi at that particular moment. "Well, ah, what I mean is-." He sighed. "You must think I am crazy," he said, scratching the back of his neck. "I find that I can't even speak about it, though I want to."

Gi got up, looking decidedly nervous as well, but visibly steeling herself. "Well, is it all right if I take a guess?" she asked.

"Um, sure."

"Okay. Don't take this the wrong way."

Kwame was about to inquire as to what she meant by that, when he felt Gi's lips press against his own gently. Shocked, he stood still for a moment before relaxing, his arms encircling her waist. Her own hands snared themselves around his neck as they both had an encounter of the intimate kind.

Finally, after a minute of lip lock, the two separated, both blushing. "I'm guessing that I guessed right?" Gi asked, eyes twinkling.

Kwame smiled widely, feeling like he was going to do an old African dance. "You did, and in a most pleasant fashion," he replied. "Can I take this as a clue that you like me more than just a friend?"

Gi laughed. "Yes, you can. And you can also take it as a hint that you're paying for dinner when we go on a date."

Kwame joined her in laughing. "I shall do that, love."

Gi smiled in joy. The term _love, _it had a nice ring to it.

----

"What?! Past Planeteers had the power to hurt people?!"  
Ma-Ti sighed. "Yes, Laura. And they had to fight this…monster."

Laura sagged, her body conveying her disbelief. "And Gaia…did all that?" she asked.

"She did what she thought was necessary. She was also extremely concerned for the continuation of Earth."

His love grasped it rather fast. "What's the point of protecting the environment if the Planet Earth is nothing more than a pile of ash? Talk about a serious crimp in everyone's future plans."

"You mean, we're allowed them?" Ma-Ti looked surprised. "I never knew."

Laura giggled. "Okay, but what about the Sunak? They don't seem to like us."

"Of that, Gaia has no idea. But apparently, they are hell bent on killing us. Why is completely untrue."

The rancher nodded. "I know. But what about Wheeler and Linka? This concerns them more than the rest of us put together."

At that, the Heart Planeteer gave thought about it. What _about_ those two? For whatever reason, Wheeler would give no thought to his own safety, though he would expend all of his energy protecting Linka from harm, and to a slightly lesser degree, the rest of them. It was therefore necessary for the others to remind Wheeler every once in a while that they were capable of taking care of themselves. And Linka would not care of her own safety, instead standing by to help Wheeler. It would become extremely irritating. "I do not know. But what I do know, is that the Sunak will not stop with Sakar's death. They will kill Gaia and Zarm as well."

For a moment, the two were quiet, each processing their own thoughts about everything they had learned. Ma-Ti's eyes were crimped as he thought of what Gaia had told him. Laura was thinking about the attack, and what Zephyer had said. She still didn't see anything wrong with Gaia. She was a nice enough being.

Ma-Ti looked at Laura, trying to see what she was thinking about, only to find her staring at him with a similar expression on her face. "We think too much alike," he said in understatement.

"Oh, yeah." Laura got up. "Let's take a walk, get out of this place for a while. Maybe even take a swim."

"Walk…a walk sounds good. I could definitely use some fresh air." He held out his hand. "Shall we, milady?"

Laura giggled again, taking the outstretched hand. Together, they walked out of the room, and headed for the outside.

----

Clash and Gaia pored over the technical files of the Geo Cruiser, trying to find an empty spot with which they could mount some sort of weapon systems. But Gi had been very thorough when she had designed it. There were no empty compartments, not even a small hole to put a handgun.

"Talk about conservative," Clash mumbled, leafing over the specs for the secondary solar pack and the adaptors needed for it to be connected. "Fighter jets have some spare room for a passenger, or supplies. Gi has got to be the ultimate pacifist on Earth."

"On that, you'll have no argument from me." Gaia threw the recycled paper down on the table. "This is pointless. We have checked the Geo Chopper, the Geo Sub, and the Cruiser, and we have had no luck whatsoever."

Clash stood up, stretching his back muscles. He winced as several cracks made themselves known throughout his spine. "My body isn't as young as it used to be," he said. "I envy you, Gaia. You're eons older than me, and yet, you don't look a day over thirty."  
Gaia chuckled. "I just keep myself healthy. It sure isn't easy, though."

"Yeah, so I've noticed. Is it alright if I watch the news? It might give me some insight, and boy, do I need some insight."

Gaia activated Planet Vision, seeing the news channels until she stopped on one. "This okay?"

Clash simply nodded, his gaze on the screen…and suddenly shot up. "What the?!"

Gaia also looked. "I don't believe it," she breathed.

Together, the two listened to the news report.

"_And today, what has started out as an ordinary day, has turned into a day of terror and confusion. For eight hours ago, the Planet Earth itself was attacked by what Pentagon officials are now calling a Sunak battle cruiser. According to them, the attacker was testing our defenses, and was also causing some early damage to various aspects on each continent._

_However, before any more damage could be inflicted, another vessel, named _Enterprise_, stopped the attacking vessel, and is currently helping coordinate UN relief efforts to the affected areas." _The reporter stopped for a second, turning around. "_And here comes the commanding officer of the _Enterprise_. Excuse me, Captain!"_

Gaia looked at Clash. "Well, I think we've found our insight."

"I think you're right."

"_Captain Archer, what exactly do you plan on doing? From what we have heard, your ship is still in orbit, patrolling the area. You have some of your personnel helping in the relief efforts. What other actions are you currently taking?"_

"_Well, as of now, we will continue patrolling the system. We'll also be conducting an investigation on the other attack that had occurred this morning, as well as an autopsy on the giant insect that was brought in recently. As to the whereabouts of the people who were fired at, we have no idea as to where they are, or the location of the attacker itself. Now, if you will excuse me."_

Gaia deactivated the Planet Vision, shutting off the reporters, as well as the sight of another woman walking by. "No wonder the Sunak didn't finish us off, she said. "All we need to worry about now is whether or not we can trust Archer."

Clash nodded. "That's the question of the hour. How about we tell the Planeteers tomorrow about this? Let them decide? And we should include Laura in this. After all, she is in as much trouble as the rest of us. And I have the feeling that if we interrupt them, they'll lynch me, and try to lynch you."

"Why is it that we always think alike?"

"Maybe I'll take your job someday?"

Gaia laughed.

----

Wheeler lay back, staring at the sky in speculation. He could feel Linka next to him, laying her head on his chest, making him feel happy, and like a pillow. The two of them stared at the stars as they appeared in the ever darkening sky. Already, Wheeler could see the Big and Little Dippers, Orion the Hunter, and Pegasus. He knew that given time, he would see many more. And that's only if he stayed awake.

"Well, this is very nice," Linka murmured, barely moving her head. Wheeler could feel her breath through his shirt as she looked at him. "It is not often that I even allow myself to do this."

Wheeler smiled. "I'm glad you decided to loosen up for tonight. And I want to say I'm sorry, for acting like I did before."

"You have nothing to be sorry for! I almost did the same exact thing." Linka propped herself on one elbow. "In that aspect, I envy you, Yankee."

"Huh? Why do you envy me?"

"Because you are so passionate about your life. You go where the wind takes you, and never think of the consequences. And yet, when those consequences come, you take them, straight back and tall. You say what's on your mind. I wish I could do that sometimes."

Wheeler laughed. "You sound like my old friend, Frankie." Linka giggled as well. "I envy you, as well," he said, more serious.

"You envy me? Why?"

"You are so level headed, and intelligent. You seem to have a plan for everything that happens, and yet, you do have passion. You have a lot of passion in you, even though you don't let it show a great deal of the time. I wish I could be like that sometimes, especially when we're in trouble."

Linka's own smile grew. "It would appear that we both have things in common, then. We express the need to change, and yet we are both too stubborn to do so."

"Yeah, poor old pitiful us…well, not the old part."

"_Da_. I will go with that. We are pitiful."

Wheeler yawned, suddenly exhausted. "Well, I'm ready for bed. Today was exhausting."

Linka nodded, already half asleep. "I do not feel like moving. Do you?"

"Not really. And I've never slept underneath the stars."

"There is always a first time for everything."

"Yeah." Wheeler put his arm around Linka, hugging her close. "See you in your dreams," he whispered.

Linka only shifted once, the only sign that she had heard him, then lay still, her breathing slow and even. Wheeler smiled, then closed his own eyes.

Both slept under the stars, unaware of the events that were occurring in Wheeler's hometown.

* * *

In the room of the Jane Doe, the woman awoke, screaming like something was trying to kill her.

Almost instantly, five nurse, followed by Karen, entered. "Is it always this loud?" one intern asked, wincing at the volume of the scream. "And is she always like this?!"

"Oh no," Karen replied. "Some nights, it's _really_ bad. And everyone here is used to it." She immediately grasped the sobbing woman. "Shhh, it's all right. No one can hurt you," she whispered soothingly. It had always calmed down the woman for some reason, so Karen had continued doing it throughout the years.

It didn't this time, and in fact was the cause of something unexpected.

The instant Karen's hands were on her arms, the woman's hands clamped on her arms, startling her. Karen looked down into eyes of blue ice, focusing on something for the first time in a decade. And when she spoke, it was with desperation.

"He's coming!" she hissed, her voice sharp like a knife. Shocked, Karen stared at her, not believing it. "He's coming to finish it!"

Karen snapped out of it. "Who?" she asked calmly, though inside, she was shaking in fear. This was the first time the woman had actually spoken to her before.

"The Death Dealer! Sakar! I don't have a lot of time before I fall back into the other state, so listen! You have to find my son, and warn him!"

"Your son?!"

The woman nodded, her eyes clearer than Karen had ever seen them. "You also need to speak with Gaia! She will tell you everything you need to know…" Abruptly, the woman's eyes dulled, and her grip relaxed. "Please…" she whispered, before falling silent.

Karen was shaking. '_Oh, god, she's talking about Sakar! She knows of the Death Dealer!'_

"Oh my god, what was that all about?!" one of the nurses shrieked.

"I don't know! Joanne, Kathy, keep an eye on her! Torrie, Janet, I want you to go and find Belldandy Morisato. You'll know her by three blue tattoo's, set on her forehead and cheeks!" she instructed, and not waiting to see if her order was followed, stepped outside, and pulled out her phone. "You better have someone at home, Belldandy," she muttered. "Because this has become a hell of a lot more complicated."

* * *

Urd finished eating her doughnut, and was preparing for her daily routine of irritating the living hell out of Skuld, drinking Sake, and heading over her job at the mall, when the telephone began ringing. "Of all the times," she grumbled, floating over to the phone. "Yes, hello. Morisato residence," she said in Japanese.

"_Please speak English! I need to speak to Belldandy!"  
_Urds eyebrow arched in surprise. "Who is this?" she asked, switching to that particular language.

"_Name's Karen Jackson. I'm a nurse at the New York Metropolitan Hospital! Can you give me Belldandy's cell phone number? I really need to talk to her about the Death Dealer!"_

"What do you know about Sakar?"

"_It's a long story, but suffice to say, your sister told me about him eleven years ago!"_

"Oh, you're the nurse she told me about. Okay, here's the number…" The Second Class Goddess rambled off the correct number. "Thanks for calling."

'_I'll tell Belldandy that you said hello. And, thanks."_

With that, the line hung up. Urd also hung up, then phoned Athena. "Boss lady," she began, "We have a problem…"

* * *

Linka slowly rose back to consciences, confused as to why it was still night out, and as to why she was not in her bed. A second later, she remembered that she had fallen asleep on Wheeler. The thought brought a slight blush to her cheeks, and a slight smile. But why was she waking up?

She got her answer when she looked down.

Wheeler was shifting, every muscle in his body taut with tension. His eyes were twitching under his eyelids. And he was muttering. Bending over, Linka could hear him saying, "No, you monster, don't take her. Fight me, leave her out of this…"

'_He is having a nightmare,'_ she thought. '_It probably involves me.'_ She began shaking him lightly. "Wheeler," she whispered, "wake up. It is only a dream." Getting no reply, she shook him harder.  
Wheeler's hands shot up immediately, snaring the sides of Linka's waist, and with a sudden twist, had pinned her underneath him, immobilized. Linka hadn't even had time for a yelp of shock. All she could do was stare at him in surprise. "W-Wheeler?" she whispered, knowing the difference in their positions now made her feel more, vulnerable. And it was affecting her in ways that she had never felt before, or anticipated. But her eyes were on Wheeler's.

The color drained from the young man's face as his eyes focused on Linka's face, and he released her, hurtling himself back from her, trembling in fear. "Linka…I am so sorry," he groaned, wrapping his arms around his legs. "I didn't mean to…" He couldn't finish the sentence.

Linka crawled over to him. Never before had she seen Wheeler so…frightened before. He seemed almost, vulnerable. It was more surprising than when he had her trapped underneath him. "Wheeler, I'm not mad at you. I was a little surprised, but not mad." She kept herself face level with him. "I am the one who should apologize-"

"You didn't know, because it's never happened before," he interrupted. "At least, not before…"

"Before what? Is it about that dream you just had? Is it…very bad?"

Wheeler sighed. "No. The word, 'terrifying,' is what I would choose to describe it. Repeating is another word I would use." He sat up. "Linka, can I…confide something with you?" A nod answered his question. "Have you ever had dreams that you knew weren't real, but were so…vivid, that you began to doubt everything you know?"

Linka frowned, remembering her childhood. "Not for a long time," she said. "But, _da_, I did have them. Why?"

Wheeler took a deep breath. "I have been having dreams about a woman. A woman who is not much older than you. It looks like it was a decade in the past, though. I see a man with a couple of gray streaks in his hair going after her, hurting her…"

"…Damning her," Linka muttered, her eyes distant. "Almost ripping her soul from her body."

"Yeah, that's it. How'd you know?"

Linka sighed, sitting down next to Wheeler. "Now, this is going to sound very looney…"

"The term crazy is better."

"Alright then, crazy. Anyways, when I was younger, I had dreams of a young boy. That young boy reminded me of you in terms of physicality. I was watching his entire eighth year like I was…having one of those outer-body experiences. They ended after his ninth birthday party, when I saw that woman you described fighting that man you described. He…he snapped her spine in half, then broke her arm. They spoke, hatred thick between them. Finally, he…he…" She couldn't continue, as the memories she had came back to her. She hadn't thought of those dreams for so long, and yet, the pain was as fresh as ever, as if she had had them all through the years. She could even feel tears coming down her cheeks, as if she were nine once again.

Wheeler gathered her close for a hug, not saying anything, because no words were needed. He simply held her close, giving her comfort as she gave comfort to him, and quite literally a shoulder to cry on. He would give her anything she needed, even the clothes on his back if it became necessary.

After a while, Linka stopped crying, and wiped her eyes. "You must think I'm a sissy," she muttered irritably.

The Fire Planeteer looked at her. "No, I don't think that. I think you're just someone who has had a great deal of stress, and has held it in for eleven years. You were just letting it out. And I'm the one who should be called a sissy. I was the one who was curled up in a ball, whimpering like a lost dog a few minutes."

Linka smiled warmly. "Your secret is safe with me. I still want to thank you for being there. And I also want to do…this." Suddenly, she slapped Wheeler on the shoulder, leaping up as she did so. "Tag, you're it!"

Wheeler fell over, not expecting her to do that. "What?" he exclaimed, staring at her with a lack of comprehension.

Linka giggled. "Do not tell me you have never played Tag before!"

"Well, actually, no. Kind of difficult when you are bullied or are the one doing the bullying. I don't even know what Tag is."  
"Well, then, I shall simply have to teach you. The rule is simple. I tag you, you have to chase, and catch me. It's as simple as that. Well, come on! Catch me if you can!" With that, she started running across the beach.

Wheeler looked at her for a moment, then grinned wolfishly. Getting up, he stretched, then broke into a run after her.

Linka squealed as she saw Wheeler coming in fast, his legs pumping like he was running a marathon. She started speeding up, then swerved left. She saw Wheeler, snag a tree, and use it to swing himself in her direction. She started laughing as she saw the look on Wheeler's face, and continued back in the direction of the beach.

Wheeler grunted, concentrating on Linka's movements, but could not deny the feeling of…happiness that was surging through him. He was having fun, like he was a kid once again. It was something he had never felt before as a child. However, that wasn't going to catch the blond Russian any sooner. He increased his pace.

For several moments, the two of them continued their little game of cat and mouse, Linka dodging, Wheeler lunging. Both were laughing like little school kids, and not really caring. And Wheeler was gaining on Linka. She wasn't really concerned about that, either. She was never really concerned about Wheeler.

Finally, Wheeler managed put on an additional burst of speed, catching up to her. He almost snagged Linka by her arm. However, he hadn't expected Linka to already have turned around to run by him, and the two collided, falling to the ground as they did so. Wheeler twisted around, so his body took the brunt of the fall. He found himself staring at Linka as she fell on top of him. "Tag, you're it," he whispered. "Now it's your move."

Linka smiled tenderly. "Very well," she replied, before leaning over, brushing his lips with her own.

She kissed him gently, feeling a surge of joy as he started kissed back. It was intoxicating to them both. It was probably the single greatest thing they had ever shared. Linka wondered why she had never allowed this to occur before.

Their kisses grew more passionate as they continued, neither wanting to let go of this special moment. It was, quite possibly, the first time in three years that they had done this.

Wheeler was on Cloud Nine. He didn't know what had caused this change in Linka, or what changes would occur now between them, but he wasn't complaining. If this was all that was needed to lower the social barriers between them, then he would have to do it more often.

Linka was extremely giddy. She had never done anything like that before. The fact that Wheeler had allowed her to make the first move was even more amazing. She would have to do this again some time.

Finally, the two separated because a need for oxygen, both breathing very hard. Wheeler took the time to look at her, amazed by what had just happened. Her hair had fallen out of it's usual braid, falling around her shoulders. A few errant strands fell over her face, making her look more…daring and sensual. Her lips were red and swollen at that particular moment, making her seem more beautiful to him. Her eyes were staring at him hungrily.

The Fire Planeteer cleared his throat. "Well, that was…great," he said in all honesty. "Though 'great' isn't a strong enough word for what just happened." He looked at her with a similar expression on his face. "See? You do have a great deal of passion in you. I do have one question, though; Why did you want to play Tag?"

Linka blushed a little, though the look of hunger obtained a mischievous edge. "You are not the only one who has never played Tag. I felt like it was time to…let it out, and have some fun." She leaned in to kiss him briefly. "And look, the sun is coming up. We woke up an hour before dawn."  
Wheeler looked to the side, just in time to see the sun break the horizon. "Wow," he murmured, sitting up, and placing Linka on his lap. "I think I'm going to enjoy sunrises a great deal."

Linka nodded, snuggling up to him, putting her head under his chin. "Does this mean I get to move into your room?" she asked impishly. "Or do I have to wait until we are married?"

Wheeler laughed, opening his mouth to reply, but then he shut his mouth due to an interruption.

"_Planeteers, to the Crystal Chamber. We have some information that is of relevance to both Sakar and the Sunak. And sorry for interrupting, everyone."_

"Voyeur," Wheeler muttered good naturedly. "Guess I'll have to answer that question later, Linka."

Linka got up, and looked at the huts. "Back to work," she said, sighing. "And I was enjoying myself too."

Wheeler, laughing, reached for her hand. "C'mon, babeuoska. Let's go see what the Spirit of Earth and the commando have to tell us."

Linka took his hand. "Let's."

----

"What? A futuristic ship with the technology to challenge the Sunak? I must have died and gone to Heaven!"  
"Well, you're not in Heaven. It's called the _Enterprise,_ and it's commanded by a man named Jonathan Archer. His crew is personally overseeing the autopsy of that other _Klahsef_, as well as the attack on you guys."

"Which reminds me, and no, Gaia, I am not changing the subject, but Gi, how long will it take to make a new solar pack for the Geo Cruiser?"

"About two weeks, and that's if I can get the parts from my parents," Gi replied. "Why?"

"Because I'm not going to pilot that Sunak fighter all the way to Washington, or NASA, or wherever Captain Archer is at this particular moment."

"What about the Geo Sub, or the Geo Chopper?" Ma-Ti asked. "Neither moves very fast, so we can just remove one of the power packs from one of them, and put it in the Cruiser. Does that sound like a good idea?"

Gi nodded. "I have to make a few modifications to it, but I can have it installed in three hours. Now, how do we find Archer?"

"That's already taken care of." Clash pointed to Planet Vision, where a map of the Continental United States was imposed upon it. "He didn't want a command base to be out in the open, or in the capital, so he had it moved to the Northeastern States. Specifically, here."

Wheeler nodded, not really surprised. "So he's in New York," he stated.

"Yep."

Wheeler turned to the other Planeteers. "Guess you're all going to see my home. Fun, ain't it?"

* * *

Sakar walked out of Greedily's hut, smirking slightly. He had left the disgusting creature to quiver in fear, instead focusing on where he would go next. '_Soon, Gaia, the prophecy will be destroyed, and you and Zarm will die by my hand. Wheeler Sloane, Linka Ivanova, I am coming for you!'_

Before he did anything, he suddenly heard, over the radio of Greedily's, a news report about the Sunak attack.

"…_And as of yet, there is still no idea as to why the Sunak attacked, and no one knows what this means for any of us."_

Sakar's smirk became a full out grin. "I know what it means," he said quietly. "Aw, Sunak, so your plans for my death have finally been completed. For all the good it does you. Even with the Sailor Scouts and those digital guardians gone, you cannot hope to defeat humanity. And I cannot be killed."

With an open laugh, one heard from one side of the world to the other, save for Hope Island itself, he teleported.

His course was simple. Back to where he destroyed one young man's life, and would finally end a Goddess's.

New York.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Belldandy stared into the Jane Doe's room, unable to believe what she had just heard. "You're sure about this?" she asked.

Karen nodded, her eyes still full of surprise. "I was there, and I have several eyewitnesses to back me up. It wasn't a slow return to consciousness, like any other person. She simply turned her head, grabbed my arm, and told me that Sakar was coming for her son. Then she went back into a vegetable state."

Belldandy leaned on the door frame, putting the pieces together. "So she actually fought the Rogue. And her son is out there…something we already knew. We just can't find him."

Karen nodded. "She seems to think that he would know something about Sakar," she said. "At least, that's the impression I got from her. And something about some Gaia person."  
"Gaia?" Belldandy asked, perking a bit. "For some reason, I'm surprised that she knew about her. Planeteers of the past were spread out throughout the globe. They only united when they found each other. Unless…" she trailed off, thinking. "Unless…this has happened before."

The nurse turned her head again, her blond hair matching her mood mysteriously. Her eyes, green as emeralds, and as expressive as Belldandy's own blue eyes, was something that the first class Goddess couldn't understand. She didn't inquire, though.

And now, those eyes were taking on a veil of surprise. "You think that this has something happened before?"  
Belldandy nodded. "It would explain why Sakar has been able to remain unopposed for centuries. For some reason, he's afraid of these people. But why…?"

"What if…?" Karen trailed off for a second. "What if, the Planeteers have some type of ability to defeat Sakar? Say…like a power that grows stronger with each passing generation?"

Belldandy thought about it, then pulled out her cell phone. Pressing the auto dial button, she waited for the call to head for the Yggdrasil master control room.

"_This is Ex. What is it?"_

"Ex, this is Belldandy. I need you to compile a list of past Fire and Wind Planeteers, and how long they were active. Time of death, everything."

"_I'll have it for you in a few hours. Doing some research for Athena?"_

"No," Belldandy replied. "I have a theory that I need some evidence for. Can you do it?"

"_I will. Talk to you later."_

"Bye." Belldandy put her phone away. "I'm going for a walk. I need to wrap my head around this. And I need to call Keiichi again, let him know that I'm alright."

Karen nodded. "I'll stay and keep a watch on her." She turned and entered the room.

Belldandy headed to the exit, her mind on everything that she had just heard. If her theory was right, then the Planeteers had been fighting Sakar for centuries, but they weren't doing any better than Heaven was. And Sakar put this particular Planeteer into a health care center. This piqued her already considerable ire for him.

Never before had she felt so helpless until this day. Never had she felt so useless as today. She wanted to lash out, take her frustrations out on something, but she knew what would happen if she did. The Supreme Chancellor would have her head.

She stepped outside, still thinking dark thoughts about Sakar and limitations. At least, she was, until she bumped into someone.

----

T-Pol stumbled back a step, reorienting herself rather quickly. She couldn't believe that she hadn't been paying attention to what was in front of her. Nevertheless, she observed the woman in front of her with a clinical air. She made note of the three distinct diamond tattoo's on her face, as well as the blond hair, and the eyes that seemed older than they were supposed to. "My apologies," she said, making mental notes. "I wasn't watching my movements well enough."

"No, it's alright," the woman replied. "I wasn't watching where I was going, either." She held out her hand. "My name is Belldandy Morisato."

T-Pol, deciding not to inform her of the vulcan's inversion to be touched, took it. "I am T-Pol of Vulcan. I came with the vessel that is currently on orbit."

"I gathered as much. I don't see many people with pointed ears around here." Belldandy's eyes darkened for a moment, as if she sensed something. It wasn't dangerous, though. Almost…passive.

T-Pol had definitely felt something, some form of presence around her, but decided not say anything. Instead, she said, "Well, I must be off. My commanding officer is expecting me." She raised her hand, and set into the Vulcan Salute. "Live long and prosper."

Belldandy bowed. "And god day to you, as well." She smiled slightly, and began walking away. Her mind was now on what she had felt.

T-Pol continued on her way, her mind now preoccupied even more than before. She knew that there was something about that woman that was…different. Different than any human she had ever encountered, though she didn't know what. She decided that she would figure it out later. Instead, she went back to what she had been thinking about before running into Belldandy. Namely, her emotional control.

Ever since they had entered this realm, T-Pol had felt a sort of weakening in her control. Not the violent loss that she experienced on the doomed Vulcan ship, where she went absolutely insane. Instead, it almost seemed natural to her, as if she had shown emotions her entire life. And even stranger, was to who her thoughts were turning too. Not a comforting thought for her.

----

Belldandy sat down in a seat of an outside deli, lost in her thoughts. She ordered a triple hot fudge sundae, then leaned back, closing her eyes. She started to sort through the jumble of thoughts feelings she was currently having. For starters, her bumping into T-Pol.

Never before had a mortal mind brushed against a goddess's mind, and not be driven mad. That could only mean one thing. '_She's a telepath of some kind. Probably requires tactile contact to be effective, but that can be an advantage in a medical situation.'_ Satisfied, she turned her attention to her more immediate problem, namely, Sakar.

The Rogue had done a great deal of damage over the last thousand years, killing a large number of people, and enslaving even more for his conquest of the cosmos. And she, as the only being to ever defeat him, was responsible for bringing him in to justice.

The waitress returned with her sundae, and she picked up the spoon, spooned some, and put it in her mouth. '_Oh, of all the things that Heaven can do,'_ she thought, '_and they can't make a great sundae.'_ Once more, she found herself thinking of Keiichi, and everyone else back in Nekomi. She missed Skuld's last minute attempts to make an amazing machine, and have it fail on her fifty percent of the time. She missed Urd's plans of trying to get her and Keiichi together in a more intimate sense. She missed everyone in the motor club, even those two fanatics who managed to scare almost eighty percent of their hopefuls away. And most of all, she missed Keiichi, with his pep talks, his words of gentle reassurance, and his need to do everything without a high powered hand from any of them. And slowly, surely, she realized that it was his way of trying to impress her. Even if he didn't have to.

She missed them all, and wanted to go back to them. But, she had made a promise. She would not rest until Sakar had been brought to justice…or was dead.

For some reason, the thought did not sicken her.

In fact, the more she considered it, the more she liked it. And that was what scared her.

* * *

Trip got up from the center seat on _Enterprise_. "Malcolm, you're in command until I get back. I need to get somethin' to eat."  
Reed nodded. "I'll keep it warm for you."

Chuckling, Trip turned around.

"_Engineering to Commander Tucker."_

The Chief Engineer sighed. Why was his job always more difficult than it had to be? He now knew how Archer had to feel on a daily basis. He pulled out his communicator. "Yea, Hess?"

"_Sir, I think you should get down here. We have a problem."_

"On my way."

* * *

Archer's mouth became a thin, taut line. "Are you sure, Trip?"

"_Ah've ran the diagnostic routine several times, so I'm sure. Our warp assembly is seriously out of alignment. Some of the equipment we need is fried, the rest of it malfunctioning for some reason. And according to Lieutenant Hess, it happened when we went through that portal thingy."_

"What about the Warp Core and the coils? And the plasma conduits? Are they operating?"

"_Yeah, Cap'n. The nacelles only have the damage from the battle, and that's easy enough to repair. The plasma conduits are operatin' at peak efficiency. But we have no way to transfer any power to the nacelles."_ Trip sounded rather stressed out as he said this. "_Cap'n, I don't think Ah need to tell ya, that if we ever get back to our own reality, it'll be difficult to stop the Xindi weapon, if not flat out impossible at impulse power."_

Archer knew that. Warp Power was the only reason that _Enterprise_ was able to follow the homing beacon with a degree of success. If they didn't have that, then there would be no way to stop them. "Anything you can do?" he asked.

"_Well, Ah've got some ideas, but Ah wanna run them by T-Pol first, see if there feasible with our equipment."_

The Captain nodded. "Understood. You can do it on the surface. Beam down."  
"_Understood Cap'n. Tucker out."_

Archer shut his communicator off, and put it back into his jumper's pocket, thinking dark thoughts of portals. After this, he was never going to say anything bad to or about the Vulcan's ever again.

Mayweather walked up. "Captain, the last relief group is on it's way."

"Good. We have another problem. For whatever reason, some of our equipment isn't working properly. So, for a time, we have no warp power."

Mayweather frowned. "Well, I don't think we're going anywhere anyways. These people need our help."

"Too true." Archer turned to Anderson, who was busy talking to someone. "We're going to need it as well. Captain Anderson is trying to get us an empty building in New York City. It's about as far from Washington as we can hope to get, and still have decent communications that can't be traced."  
Anderson nodded once, then headed back over to them. "Well, I wasn't able to, the General would like me to remind you that you are not part of the military."  
Mayweather headed back to the shuttle. "I'll get the shuttle pod ready for launch."

It was a feasible idea. After all, T-Pol was already in New York, which was one of the only areas that hadn't been hit. They could head over there, meet up with her, and plan their next course of action.

It was the only thing they could do at that moment. Aside from keeping an eye on the Sunak Fleet.

* * *

The _Crusher_ dropped out of warp twenty light years from the outer rim of the Terran Solar System. It's engines, powered by the strength of giddea ore, enabled them to travel beyond the speed of light. The downside was the fact that they had to keep their ships in good working order for centuries longer than they were supposed to, even as they constructed stronger, and larger vessels throughout the last two thousand years to service their ever growing population. The development of replicators had helped them with this, so they didn't have to keep foraging for the ores they needed.

Commander Karken was proud of the _Crusher. _It was one of the original warships to escape the Death Dealers purge all those centuries ago, and it had been maintained with the greatest of care by the many commanders who had sat in the chair. It was more primitive in terms of it's weaponry and defenses, but only the Goa'uld were stronger in the galaxy. And the Sunak were slowly reaching their level of technological might. They also possessed a technology the Goa'uld did not; the ability to open gateways into other dimensions.

But right now, all of Karken's attention was on the giant ship that was in front of him. "Hail them," he ordered.

The communication officer toggled the send button. "Foghery serche a temins," he said in his own native language. It was how the others realized that one of the elder ships had returned, and had not been compromised. The Goa'uld System Lords had tried it once. They lost three mother ships, and almost a hundred smaller vessels when the Sunak had retaliated in revenge. Now the System Lords steered clear of them.

"_Message received _Crusher. _Commander Karken, the Praetor wishes to see you and your second in command."_

"Understood. We will be there momentarily. _Crusher_ out." He stood up, tugging down on his tunic. "Sheeyal, the Praetor has granted us an audience. We must depart at once. Freskh, you are in command until we return."

"Understood, sir. See you tomorrow." Freskh saluted. "Try not to break each other's bones like the last time."

Karken glared at him for a second before the turbo lift doors closed. "He thinks it's funny," he grumbled.

Sheeyal grinned, giving him a hug. "Freskh is always finding something funny in everything, Commander," she reminded him. "But he is the best chief engineer in the fleet, and the _Crusher_ always was for the best of us."

Karken grabbed her hand as she pulled away. "We are alone at this particular moment," he said. "I think you can forgo the rank."

"Of course, Naisw."

It was common knowledge aboard the ship that Karken and Sheeyal were lovers, though they had served aboard the Crusher for five years before Karken began courting her romantically. That way, it could safely be said that she reached her present rank and posting through her own hard work and merits, and not by any manipulations. And she was the best XO a commander could ask for.

The doors opened to the deck they wanted, and they stepped out. They walked a ways, before reaching their destination. "Chief, how are your transporters today?" Sheeyal asked.

The transporter chief looked up from his diagnostic. A furry specimen, he came from a world that had not been destroyed by the Death Dealer, though they had had dealings with him as well. "The transporters are doing fine."  
"Good." The two highest ranking officers stepped onto the transporter pads. "We are heading over to the council ship for a meeting with the Praetor. Please energize."

"Understood. See you tomorrow, Commander, Sub-Commander." He tapped a few controls. "Energizing."

Three seconds later, Karken and Sheeyal disappeared in a swirl of gold.

When they reappeared on the Council Vessel, a female attendant with the markings of the Praetor approached them. "Commander Karken and Sub-Commander Sheeyal of the _Crusher._ The Praetor awaits in his chambers."

The two officers glanced at each other in confusion. Then they followed her out of the transporter room.

----

The Praetor was the most powerful being in the Sunak Confederation, wielding control over the entire conglomerate civilization and it's space fleet's. His eyes were everywhere, keeping him updated on every vessel, every crewman, and every civilian. He also had a great deal of attention.

And that moment, his attention was focused on a nubile young lady, whose was groaning in pleasure as his lips traveled down her reddish throat. All around him, the other attendants went about their business, some of them preparing dinner, others reading, or speaking to their families via subspace.

A chime interrupted his course downward, and he looked up, gently pushing the attendant off of his lap, and sitting up. "Come," he said sternly, shifting slightly in his seat.

The great door's opened, admitting his attendant, and the two highest ranking officers of the _Crusher_, both who visibly stiffened in the presence of their leader. "Ah! Commander Karken, Sub-Commander Sheeyal! Welcome back!"

Karken nodded. "It is good to be home, my lord." He said nothing more, because of one irrefutable fact.

The head of the Sunak Confederation was a human, of South American descent. He, like Karken and Sheeyal, had risen to his present rank through merit, and through uncanny political maneuvering. He had been Praetor for three years, showing the same dedication to the Confederation as the previous one. And that was saying something. No one knew how he got there, except for those on board on that ship…and Karken.

Sheeyal nodded as well. "Praetor, we are honored. But this is highly irregular of you to request the presence of the executive officer to be present at a meeting. I am most curious as to why you summoned me."  
Shar-Ti nodded. "Understandable," he replied. "And you are absolutely correct. But I figured I would give you something here, instead at the great conference as I originally was ready to." He snapped his fingers, and one of the attendants brought him a pad. He handed it to the Sub-Commander. "This is the information about that vessel that you fought, as well as some suggestions as to how to combat it next time. I am giving to you now, so I don't need to at the meeting. Please take a look at it tonight. Now, I must speak to Commander Karken alone. If you will excuse us."

Sheeyal bowed once more. "By your leave, my lord." She turned on her heel, and strode out of the room.

Shar-Ti gestured to one of the chairs. "Sit, Commander. We have much to discuss."

Karken did so, though he didn't relax one iota. A lifetime of military service did that him. "I assume you want my personal opinion of _Enterprise_, and of humanities defense," he said without preamble.

Shar-Ti nodded, his black hair shimmering slightly in the reflected light. "The vessel is more advanced than anything humanity has at this particular moment. And your preliminary report spoke of some anomalous readings in a mountain military base on the North American Continent."

Karken nodded. "_Enterprise _is a young vessel, suggesting that it has been constructed in the last decade or so. It's weapons consist of phasers, and photon torpedoes with a yield equivalent to one of the _Crusher's_. They use a method of propulsion not too dissimilar to our own, and defenses running parallel to our oldest ships."

"Intriguing. And of those anomalous readings?"  
"When the _Crusher's_ tactical officer finished deciphering the matrix, he showed me the finished wave." Karken took a deep breath. "The United States military has access to a Stargate," he finished.

Shar-Ti nodded, not surprised. "Have they found the one in orbit of their planet?" he asked.

Karken shook his head. "It is invisible, which tells me that Yggdrasil has it. And we don't dare challenge them."  
"I agree." The Praetor sat up straight and tall. "Tomorrow, you will return to your ship, and prepare the fleet for the invasion. We have two weeks until we attack. I want it to go off smoothly."

"Yes, my lord."

Shar-Ti smiled slightly. "Come now, Commander, relax a little!" He ran hand up and down the one who still sat next to him. "You deny…every luxury that the Confederation has to offer someone of your quality."

Karken barely restrained himself from bristling. "My lord, as you are well aware, I am committed to my ship, and my crew…as well as someone else."  
Shar-Ti did indeed know, and wasn't surprised that Karken knew of his eye on the _Crusher_. What surprised him was the fact that his eye was still alive. Most commanders would have killed him on sight. His approval of Karken went up a notch. "Indeed. My apologies." He gestured to the door. "You are dismissed."

Karken stood up, and bowed stiffly. "By your leave, my lord." He pivoted on his heel, and walked out.

Shar-Ti smiled slightly, and beckoned the attendant back to him.

* * *

Back on Earth, in a deserted alleyway, not far from where T-Pol was located, a wind began blowing, starting slowly, then picking up speed. Papers started flying around, and cans began rolling. A drunk blinked his eyes stupidly, trying to get his bearings, as well as trying to get up. He looked up in front of him, vaguely confused.

A second later, a bright blast of light appeared. Something that would have made normal people afraid, because it was bright pink. It also opened up like the maw of a Stargate.

Thirty seconds later, a large number of bodies dropped out of it, all of them in various states of dress and panic, landing on the ground in a pile. The maw closed up behind them, so there was no going back through it. Soon, everything was as it was before. And the drunk got up, slowly walking over to the group.

For a few seconds longer, silence reigned in the alley. And then everyone started talking at once.

"Michael, get off of me!"

"I would love to, if Toodles would get his foot out of my face!"  
"George, are you alright?"  
"I am fine, Millicent. John, what about you?"  
"I think I've broken something…oh, it's just my case."  
"Wendy, are you hurt?"

"No mother, I am perfectly fine. Lost Boys, sound off!"

"Slightly!"  
"Nibs!"

"The Twins!"

"Tootles! All accounted for, sister!"

After several minutes of struggle, the whole lot of them managed to extricate themselves from everyone else. Once they were all standing once more, the boys began asking questions at rapid speed, as boys are wont to do. The adults, and their only sister tried to calm them down without success. Until…

"_AAAAHHHHHHH!"_

Wendy Moira Angela Darling, indeed the entire Darling family, jumped about several feet in the air at the unexpected scream of surprise. They turned around, ready for just about anything…except for what they saw. Or, should I say, who they saw.

Wendy's eyes widened in shock as she lay eyes upon the one boy she thought she would never see again. She heard the gasps from the boys, and the oppressed silence from her parents. But her gaze was only on him.

It was a boy, perhaps a foot taller than her, with unruly blond hair that went over his shoulders, and clothes made out of leaves, giving him a wild, unkempt appearance. But the thing that really would have been surprising was the fact that he was hovering about three feet in the air. And he was starring at them with the same expression that Wendy was currently watching him with.

"Peter?"  
Peter Pan's gaze shifted from the Lost Boys over to Wendy. His eyes widened in surprise, but in hope as well, and he landed. "Wendy?" he asked hesitantly.

The Darling Adults were in a state of shock. Now Wendy's wistful behavior whenever she told her stories became very clear. The fact that they were meeting the young man from her stories was even more surprising.

"Peter!" Wendy, now joyful beyond belief, threw her arms around him, giving him a bone crushing hug. "It is so wonderful to see you! Oh, hello, Tiger Lily." In her joy, she had not seen the young Native girl standing next to him, complete with ceremonial paint on her face, and her hunting knife held up in a defensive position. Upon seeing that they meant no harm to her, she put it down, though her body remained tense. She nodded once in greeting.

Peter smiled, that smile that always seemed to grace his face almost twenty four hours. "It's good to see you, Wendy," he said quietly. "But I would like to breathe at this moment. Hello, John, Michael."

"Hey, Peter."  
"Hello, Peter. It's good to see you." John walked up to the Indian Princess. "Hello, Tiger Lily," he said nervously.

Tiger Lily smiled delightfully, and began speaking in her native tongue. Of course, most of them couldn't understand what she was saying. John did, and so did Slightly, who knew it was a very excited greeting. John blushed, still grinning.

Wendy observed Peter as he gave his greetings. He had grown up a bit, which was surprising. He had also filled out a bit, showing some muscle development. His hands were still dirty, though. And that mischievous sparkle in his eyes hadn't changed. '_He's wearing my kiss!'_ she thought delightedly.

Peter gave Wendy a once over. She had grown, obviously, and had begun filling out in certain places. Her hair was still the same color and length, which was perfectly fine. Her emerald green eyes still held that youthfulness. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. '_She's still wearing my kiss!'_ he thought, pleased, even though he didn't know why.

"Um…Wendy?" George, who was perilously close to losing whatever was left of his sanity, wanted to know where they were, and who those two were.

Wendy broke away from Peter. "Oh! Sorry, Father! Where are my manners?" She gestured to the two. "This is Peter Pan. He is the boy who I have spoken about in my stories. The young lady next to him is Princess Tiger Lily, of the Neverland Tribal Natives." She smiled. "She can understand our language, although she can't speak it," she added unnecessarily.

"Ah." Mr. Darling nodded once. He now had answers. He could use those.

Wendy turned around. "Peter, this my mother and father. This is Aunt Millicent. You do, of course, remember your Lost Boys."

Peter smiled at the term _your Lost Boys_. Apparently, loyalty was forever. "Hello, guys. How are all of you doing?" He held up his hands when they started talking all at once. "Whoa, guys! I'm good, but I'm not that good! Tell me all about your lives later!"

Wendy observed Peter some as he spoke to them, doing a much more thorough observation of him. He had changed a bit since she had seen last seen him, which was almost three years ago. He seemed taller, somewhat fuller. His hair, which used to be just at the nape of his neck, was a little longer, and slightly darker.

Peter then bowed to the adults. His time with Wendy had taught him a few things in respectable behavior. "It's certainly a pleasure to meet you. Judging from the present behavior of the boys, I think I can safely surmise that you are very nice people."  
Mary curtsied, impressed at how the boy comported himself, despite his choice of clothing. He seemed a nice enough boy, especially for Wendy to regard him in such high esteem. She noted how Wendy was watching him, and her own kiss twitched with the rest of her mouth in amusement. "It is certainly a pleasure to meet you, Mister Pan," she replied. She looked around. "We would greet you more properly, except we no longer seem to be in our home."

George held out his hand. Peter, who was unfamiliar with the practice with handshaking, nevertheless grasped it firmly. "You have a firm grip," the eldest male Darling noted. "I like that."

Slightly smiled. "I guess this first meeting went rather well," he mentioned. His smile grew when his own foster mother gave him a small smile of agreement.

One of the twins, who was given the name of Jeremy, looked around. "So, where are we?"

"You're on the corner of Westford and Lincoln Avenue, boys and girls."

Everyone turned around to lay eyes on the drunk that occupied this particular alleyway. And he wasn't exactly the nicest looking person they had met. His clothes were ratty, looking like they had been pulled out of the garbage. He stank of sweat and drink, and his eyes were bloodshot.

George stepped in front of his wife, shielding her from him. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Peter do the same exact thing, getting in front of Wendy. He frowned slightly, but decided that it wouldn't hurt. Besides, he saw Wendy give him a frown of her own. '_Still so independent,'_ he thought.

Deciding that it would be better if he didn't inquire about it right now, he addressed the poorly dressed man. "Could you tell us where we are, then?" he asked politely.

The drunk looked around. "Well," he slurred, "I think we're in New York City."  
Millicent looked around. "It can't be. It's too…big!"

"Been that for a while. Whereya from, the Nineteenth Century?"  
George began ushering everyone the other way. "Yes," he replied, seeing no harm in telling the truth. This man didn't seem dangerous, just down on his luck. And he was drunk, so he probably wouldn't even remember this meeting. "Thank you, you have been more than helpful. Let's go, everyone."

Peter didn't move. "What happened to you?" he asked.

"Lost my job, and I have no family. What happened to your clothes?"  
Peter did not answer, though he felt sorry for the man, instead turning around and walking away…and thus, not seeing the shadow approaching the drunk from behind, grinning evilly.

----

Mary stepped out of the alleyway, and promptly was run into by someone. Another woman, wearing what looked like a futuristic business suit, custom made.

"Sorry," the woman said, looking her up and down to make sure that she wasn't hurt. "Nice dress. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was real. Movie being shot?"  
Mary, taken back by this, simply said, "Uh…yes…yes it is."

"Well, hope it's good." The woman walked away, yelling into a flat object, "No, I need those projections for the board meeting by tomorrow morning, and it had better be done right! Got it?"

Wendy walked out of the alleyway, having listened to the whole conversation. "What was that about?" she asked.

"I haven't a clue. What is a movie?"  
"No idea."

John walked over to a rectangular box, curious as to what it held. Upon staring into it, he realized what it was. Then he saw the date.

Wendy and her mother looked around, taking in their immediate surroundings, when John called out, "Mother, Father, Wendy. Could you come over here for a minute? There is something I think you should all see."  
The three of them headed over to him, Wendy receiving weird looks from passerby's. Though it was for good reason, as she was wearing a white nightgown, and her favorite pink sweater.

Mary looked over John's shoulder, reading the top of the newspaper. "G-George?" she said in an unsteady voice. "Is this a joke?"

George looked at a moment more. "For some reason, I don't think so," he replied in an equally unsteady voice.

Wendy was also staring at it in disbelief, though not so much as her parents. "April Third, 1993," she read in surprise. "But the year is 1903...isn't it?"

Everyone else crowded around them, though they allowed Wendy to make her way out. As they all glanced at it, they all began talking again.

"1993? Did we miss a century?"

"What is going on here?"

"I must have fallen asleep!"

Millicent just stepped backwards, her eyes wide. "This…is not…possible," she stammered.

Wendy looked around once more. "That is not all that isn't possible," she informed. "Take a look a round."

Everyone did as she suggested.

What they saw shocked them.

Wendy had known that the building companies in the Americans had begun experimenting with buildings that towered for hundreds of feet above the ground, almost touching the sky. However, looking around now, she saw that it had been a unqualified success, because those types of buildings were all around them now. Instead of cobbled streets, with horse driven carriages making their way around, the streets were made of a flat, gray surface. On it, a number of horseless carriages went on by at a speed that horses could never reach. A large number of people walked the street, all clothed in a variety of styles ranging from the strange, to the extremely indecent. In fact, Wendy felt like they had walked into the middle of a entourage of clowns.

Millicent finally spoke once more, asking, "Where…no, when…are we?"  
For that, no one had an answer. But Wendy knew that, no matter what obstacles were put in front of them, they would be alright. After all, she had survived Hook. This place couldn't be any more difficult…could it?

George finally shut his mouth. "Well, we might as well take a look around," he said, starting to smile a bit. "Who knows? Maybe Wendy can count this as one of her adventures."

Wendy smiled in delight. "Maybe I can tell a story while we are here."

Millicent sighed. "Wendy," she said. Despite three years of instruction, Wendy still maintained her childlike naivety, and that stubborn streak to believe in a better world. It was her most aggravating trait, and the one trait that Millicent was proud to say was Wendy's greatest quality.

Wendy was also not dense, either. "Don't worry, Aunt Millicent. I'm not going to write them down. I'm just going to tell them."

Millicent was much more open to the idea after that.

----

T-Pol walked the streets, lost in thought. She was also compiling a great deal of information about how Twentieth Century life was like. '_It leaves a great deal to be desired,'_ she decided.

However, she was in a Vulcan-like sense of awe at how these people had managed to build such a civilization, especially after all of the strife that had already occurred. The buildings, which were built to withstand the test of time, were mostly in the history books of the Twenty Second Century, having been destroyed in the Third World War. The way the people talked, which was a combination of proper, and absolutely vulgar, reminded her of how Commander Tucker was like when he was angry. And the different styles of clothing. It almost looked like a inter world conference was walking the streets.

She waited for a crossing sign to change to blue, then walked across the street to the other side, heading over to the rendezvous point that she had suggested. It was a building very near an apartment complex. She had found it on her first sojourn through the city. It was relatively calm, right near the middle of the city, and surrounded by three buildings. All in all, a place where they wouldn't be disturbed.

As she began walking down the street, she saw a flash of color from the corner of her eye. Curious, she turned her head to see a trio of young men, all wearing what looked like threadbare biker clothing, walking down the street. She must've had the luck of the devil, because she watched as they stopped, all staring at something for a moment as if they never thought they would see something like it. They began speaking to each other, grinning, then ran across the street. Their intent obvious, they halted in front of a group of people.

T-Pol looked in front of her, seeing past them, and saw what they had seen. Her eyebrow arched. "Fascinating…" she muttered.

She picked up her pace, so she would reach them sooner. After all, criminals never did like to negotiate with their victims.

----

"Hand over the money, man."

George blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry…what?" he asked, not understanding. It was the first time he had ever heard someone speak in a belligerent tone to him.

As he and Peter led everyone else down the street, attracting a large number of odd glances along the way, they tried to figure out exactly where they were.

Then they had found their process impeded. Namely, by a trio of poorly dressed young men.

The lead one, one whose hair was dyed blue, and starched into a series of spikes, just looked impatiently at them. "Hand over the money, now," he said. "We ain't got all day."

The one on his left smirked. "Maybe they just got out of the Twilight Zone, Snakes," he said.

"Maybe, Jones, but still..."

George finally connected with what they wanted. At that point of time, he would have laughed, had he not been concerned for his family's safety. "I'm sorry, but you don't want our money," he informed them, stepping in front of Mary once more. "It's of no use to you. I should know."

The third punk, stocky, and looking like the Marshmallow Man, shrugged. "Fine, we'll just take her necklace." He pointed at Mary. "So hand it over, lady."

Mary put a protective hand over her necklace. "I most certainly will not. This has been in my family for thirty years."

"Like that matters to us," Jones replied. He had a skull tattoo on his arm, and his hair done in a similar style to the first. "Though thanks for telling us that. It'll probably be worth a lot of money. Now hand it over."

The male percentage of the Darling family began trying to join their father, or uncle, up in front. Aunt Millicent held them back. Wendy gave them a look that plainly said, _Don't do anything._ They heeded her silent advice.

George stepped forward. "Now see here. I'm sure-" He stopped talking when one of them pulled out a knife.

"Look here, man," Snakes began, "if you wanna play hero, do it when you don't have kids around to watch you get gutted. Especially a kid who dresses up like Tarzan."  
"Who?" Peter asked.

"Tarzan! Monkey Boy! King of the apes!"

"Oh, so you're educated." Wendy began clapping slowly. "That's good. Know any other literature?"

"Wendy!" Millicent hissed. She was very afraid, and not just for herself and Mary. She was afraid of what the three hooligans would do to her charge.

Jones grinned. "No, it's alright. You've got guts, kid. You've got shit for brains, but you've got guts."

Wendy's eyes narrowed. "Care to repeat that?" she growled, ignoring her aunt's pleading glance.

"Let me spell it out for you. You…are…as…dumb…as…a…doornail."

Wendy stepped forward, and faster than anyone would have thought possible, caught him with a solid right hook. It didn't break the man's jaw, per se, but it did make an impact.

He staggered back, clutching his jaw in pain. He stared at the teenager in surprise. And he wasn't the only one. Her parents were also staring at her in surprise. Unlike them, though, he recovered very fast. "Bitch!" he roared, pulling a knife out as well. The third punk did so as well, revealing a bowie knife.

Wendy stepped back, though not in fear. She kept her eyes on them, waiting for them to make the first move. Her eyes flashed in indignation at the insult.

Peter was furious at this. They were being rude, inconsiderate, and now they had threatened Wendy! Something had to be done to address this. So he did it in the most direct way possible. In all actuality, it was the only way he knew.

His knife was in his hand, and he had it pointing at the third one's throat immediately. "Alright then, we have a situation. You have been rude, and my knife is bigger, and sharper, than yours. So you're going to apologize to Wendy, now."

Wendy observed the second one. "I agree, though you can apologize to my family first."

For a moment, silence reigned on the street. Nobody moved a muscle, because if someone did, then all hell would break loose.

The sound of a gun cocking got their attention, and they all turned around to see a gun in the Snake's hand. "We ain't gonna apologize for nothing. Now you two, back away." He thought about it for a second. "On second thought, you," he pointed at Peter, "step away. One wrong move, and I put a hole in your lady friend's head."

Peter, struggling with the decision, finally growled in frustration, and stepped back, lowering his weapon. Wendy began stepping back as well.

"Oh, no you don't." The gun never wavered. "You stay right there, kid. Jake, grab her."

"Got it, Snakes." Jake grabbed Wendy's arms, holding on tight. "We gonna have some fun with her, boss?"

"Oh, yeah. Now, lady, I'm going to say this only once-"

"-Will 'I'm sorry' be what you were going to say?" A voice interrupted, "because I don't think you want to go through with this."

The three punks turned around. "Oh, and you're going to do something about that, lady?" Snakes asked sarcastically.

T-Pol arched an eyebrow. "Yes, I will. It is illogical to hold up someone for their method of currency when you can get a nice job, and earn your own…dough, I believe the term is."  
The three laughed loudly. "Oh, this is great! This girl thinks she's a Vulcan! Are you going to give us the Nerve Pinch if we don't behave?" Snakes was beside himself with glee.

T-Pol now frowned. Twentieth Century humans were very uncouth. "As a matter of fact, I am a Vulcan," she informed them. "And I will not have to use the Nerve Pinch to deal with you three. Now, leave them alone."

The next sequences of events was almost too fast to predict.

Snakes charged forward, knife swinging forward. T-Pol dodged, catching his arm, then driving her open palmed hand right into his face. A gout of blood exploded from his lip as his head snapped back. Then T-Pol squeezed, causing him to drop his blade. Then she kneed him in the abdomen, doubling him over

Wendy's head snapped back, catching Jake dead in the face. Crying out in pain, his grip loosened slightly. Wendy broke free, turned around, and kicked him where it counted, dropping him to his knees in pain. He clutched his groin, and Wendy picked up his knife, closing.

Jones slashed at Peter, who, without even trying, simply stepped out of the way, revealing Tiger Lily, knife out and ready. She moved like the wind, first deflecting the attack, then planting her weapon within an inch of the man's face. She said something in her native tongue, though no one knew what it was. They got the gist of she said, though.

John simply said, "Roughly translated, it means 'Drop your weapon.'"

Jones did so, very slowly. He then stepped back. "Okay, you got us."

"Apologize to Wendy and her family." Peter gestured to Tiger Lily to step back. The Indian Princess did so, grinning slightly.

"Sorry, Wendy! Sorry, everyone!" All three said at once, eyeing them all in fright.

"Then heed my advice," T-Pol said calmly. "Leave, now."

In a flash, all three punks did so, barely avoiding a car in the process.

T-Pol watched their departure, eyebrow raised. "Fascinating. I had no idea that humans could reach those speeds when they were afraid."

The entire Darling turned to look at their savior. They made note of the strange clothing, a type of suit they had never seen before, as well as her slightly exotic features. And they noted the pointed ears, the arched brow. '_She looks like an elf,'_ Wendy mentally observed.

T-Pol turned her attention back to the family. "Are you all okay?"

George took a moment to answer. "Yes," he finally said. "Our thanks to you, young lady."

"It was nothing." She bowed once. "My name is T-Pol. I am the Science Officer aboard the _Enterprise._"

Wendy curtsied. "It is a pleasure to meet you, T-Pol. My name is…Wendy." She looked around. "Are you an elf?" she asked.

T-Pol stared at her. "Young lady, I am a Vulcan…an extraterrestrial. I am not an 'elf.'

Peter was confused. "Extra…whatever?"  
"Not of this world," Mary supplied. "Our apologies. We're…behind the times, apparently."

"So it would seem. And you seem to also be without proper clothing, Mister…"

"Pan. Peter Pan."

"Mister Pan," T-Pol finished smoothly. "Well, I must be off. I need to meet with my Commanding Officer. Live long and prosper." She gave them the Vulcan Salute, then walked off.

The Darling family, Tiger, and Peter watched her walk away. "You know," the young man noted, "that is someone who I don't want to mess with."

Wendy nodded her assent, before turning her attention back to her father. "Well, I assume that you know whether or not our money can be exchanged for American currency, father."

"It is." George looked at her. "Why?"

"Because we all need clothing, father," John replied. "I really don't want to wear our night clothes all day."

George had to concede to that. Unlike himself, Millicent, and Mary, the children were still in their night clothes. And they were all barefoot.

Slightly looked up. "Well, Uncle George, let's say we find a bank, then."  
The others agreed, and they did set off…not knowing that they wouldn't even make it halfway there.

* * *

The three punks practically sprinted down a deserted alleyway. They couldn't believe what had just happened. Beaten by two snot nosed kids, and a Vulcan! It was pure lunacy! Now, the only thing the three of them wanted to do was forget that it had ever happened, and get hopelessly drunk in the process.

They wouldn't accomplish either one of their goals. In fact, that sprint would be the last thing they would ever do for a very long time.

They stopped to catch their breath at their usual meeting spot, not used to running so far, and so fast. "Geez, Snakes," Jones gasped, "Did we piss off the wrong people, or what?"  
Snakes, who was too busy getting oxygen into his lungs, just shook his head in bewilderment.

"Hello."  
All of them turned their heads in the direction of the voice.

The voice belonged to a man, dressed in what appeared to be a crisp, black business suit, complete with black tie. His hair was combed back, and parted with mathematical precision. He wore sunglasses over his eyes, so they couldn't gain any idea as to who he was. Other than that, he was rather…unassuming.

The three punks started backing off, a little wary after their botched robbery attempt. "Sorry," Jake said, eyes bright with fear. "We were just leaving."

"Actually," a new voice said out of nowhere. They turned around to see a female, dressed the same way, except for a skirt, instead of pants. "We would like you to stay."  
"After all," a third person said, also wearing the same design of suit, "we were waiting for you."

Trapped, Snakes did the only thing he could think of; he charged forward fist, cocked and ready to be used. Jones and Jake did the same thing.

The three people waited until they came in range, then simply brushed their fists aside easily, then rammed their own hands into the punks chest.

Jones only had enough time to whisper, "Oh my God…" as he looked down at the hand now embedded into his chest cavity.  
"You serve Sakar, now," the man said, grinning, "Not God. Not anymore."

Then they were overcome.

* * *

Wheeler stared out of the window, observing his home city with new eyes. It seemed almost lifeless now, gray and smoky. Nothing like Hope Island, or even like Linka's home. '_And Dad liked it here,'_ he thought. '_It was home for him.'_

_But he isn't really your father, isn't here?_

Wheeler blinked in surprise. Where had that thought come from? And why did he have that thought? He should know who his dad was…shouldn't he?

As he pondered this, his gut tightened slightly. Looking out the window with a new attentiveness, he scanned the ground below them.

Linka, as if sensing this, turned her head to stare at her. "Wheeler? What is it?"

Wheeler looked at her. "Something's wrong," he replied. "I can feel it."

The Wind Planeteer looked out the window. "You know what, Yankee? I feel it too."

Ma-Ti turned in his seat. "What is it, you two?" he asked. "Your darkening emotions are so thick, I could cut it with a knife."

Laura winced. "Now that's a pretty picture, dear."

Linka sighed. "Neither of us know, Ma-Ti," she said. "It is just a feeling we both have."  
Kwame, who was piloting the Geo Cruiser, said, "Well, let us be on our guard. Our instincts have not been wrong yet. And besides, we are almost there."  
The Fire Planeteer leaned back in his chair, that bad feeling intensifying.

----

On top of a building near the target, Agent Smith, the most powerful, and oldest agent to serve the mighty Spirit of Death, observed as the Geo Cruiser began it's landing procedures. He turned his head, and saw a sparkling column of light begin to circulate. '_Ah, Commander Tucker has decided to join us on the surface. This will make it all that much easier to capture them all.'_

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Vulcan Science Officer approaching, and saw the Darling Family heading in the same direction. He saw the shuttle of which Captain Archer was presently in preparing to land. '_All the players are now here,'_ he thought in satisfaction. '_Now we can begin.'_

"Are they all here?" a voice said behind him.

Smith turned around, and bowed. "As you have predicted, my lord."

Sakar grinned. "Excellent. You may begin your 'test,' then."

Smith turned around, grinning evilly. He gestured with one hand.

----

Trip finished rematerializing, shivering as he did so. No matter how many times he was told, no matter how many times he read through the technical files, he could never really accept a device that disassembled one molecules, sent it over a long term distance, then restructuring it.

He noted Sub-Commander T-Pol approaching, and grinned. "Hey, T-Pol!" he said in greeting. "So, how's American life?"  
The Sub-Commander allowed a brief flitter of emotion to run across her face. "It is…different," she replied.

He chuckled, opened his mouth to say something else…and a ear splitting explosion suddenly issued in the lot next door. The two of them turned around in shock. "What the-?" T-Pol uttered, forgetting her emotional control.

Trip was inclined to agree.

The shuttle landed, and Archer got out. "What the Hell happened?" he shouted.

"We don't know, Cap'n!" Trip shouted back. "We were just standing here, then…this happened!"

"Well, come on, already!" Archer started heading in the direction of the fire, pushing by a number of people who were running away from the blaze. He slowed down as he passed the Darlings, turned around, and shouted, "Travis, get as many people as you can out of here. Archer to _Enterprise._ Begin beaming up everyone around the rendezvous point immediately!"

Almost immediately, people began dematerializing in groups of four, as Mayweather began ushering others into the shuttle. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a yellow vessel of some kind landing. Instantly, six people disembarked from it, five turning almost as one in the direction of the explosion. The sixth one headed in his direction. "I'm guessing you're one of the crew?" she asked.

"Yep. Travis Mayweather!"

"Laura Talbot! Need any help getting people in here?"

"Always! Come on, everyone, stay within the general vicinity of the shuttle!"

The Darlings made their way over to them, while George headed over to the affected area. Peter took off, scaring a godly number of people in the process. Wendy stopped for a moment, then turned around. She also started heading in the same direction.

"Wendy!" John shouted, moving to stop her.

Thinking fast, the young ensign grabbed him by his arm. "Someone will stop her before she gets too far," he said. "Right now, you stay right there."  
Before anyone else could think of the same thing, Wendy took off like Peter did, though in a rougher fashion. Mayweather's jaw dropped.

John turned to him. "You were saying?" he asked.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

All around them, chaos was having a field day.

Archer pelted into the lot at break neck speed, feeling like he was seeing everything in slow motion. He saw people running away from the area of the explosion, most of them terrified for their lives. He knew T-Pol and Tucker were right behind him, with the Planeteers right behind them. He heard some gasps of shock from a few of the people, but decided that they were doing that because of the explosion that had just occurred.

Grabbing a lamppost, Gi swung herself around it, following the two Starfleet Officers and Vulcan Science Officer. She heard her friends following close behind, saw Wheeler pass her like demons were chasing him. She had no idea as to why he was doing that, so she filed it away for another time.

Peter and Wendy hung a left, moving like a set of birds, only stopping when they saw something that was truly terrifying to both of them. "Oh, no," Wendy whispered.

Wheeler slowed down, his eyes starting to widen. He swore. "Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse this week. Now we have this to deal with."

In front of them, already leaping into the sky, was nothing less than a disaster.

An apartment building was currently doing it's impression of a bonfire, orange yellow flames leaping out of several of the floors. People were hastily exiting the building on the bottom floor, while others were making use of the fire escapes on higher levels. Many of them were coughing rather violently due to smoke inhalation.

Archer pulled out his communicator. "Archer to _Enterprise_. Phlox?"

"_Yes, Captain?"_ Phlox's voice came from the device.

"There's been an explosion, and an apartment building is burning out of control near the makeshift military base. Do you have any more medical personnel to spare?"

"_Just me."  
_Get down here! We're going to have quite a few smoke inhalation victims to contend with!"

"_Understood, sir. I will be down as soon as possible. Phlox out."_

Archer snapped his communicator shut, then headed in the direction of the fire. "Trip, see if you can find a hose, or something! We need to try and get that fire under control!"  
"We can help," a voice said from behind him. Archer turned around to see one of the Planeteers standing right behind him. Archer nodded. "Go to it."

The Thai woman nodded, before stepping forward. "Linka!" she shouted. "Let's do it!"  
"_Da_!" Linka held her ring up. "_Wind!"_

"_Water!"_ Gi pointed her ring at a nearby fire hydrant. For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, one of the plugs broke off, and a geyser of water shot out from it, stopping before it went too far. Gi then pointed her ring in the direction of the burning apartment. Like a dog obeying it's owner, the water shot straight at the building.

From Linka's ring, a powerful blast of wind issued, made controllable by her will alone. With a mental thought, she made it even stronger, collecting the very particles out of the air, and directing it at the building, containing the blaze in a whirlwind.

Kwame, his ring useless in the city, Wheeler, whose ring was the very element that they were currently fighting against, and Ma-Ti, who was uniquely suited for the task of calming people down, began getting people out of the immediate area.

Archer was struck dumb for a second by what Linka and Gi were doing, then he began moving people away as well, trying to sooth them with simple words. It wasn't working very well. Most of them were in shock, or simply didn't need it.

----

Belldandy had just gotten up, having paid for her sundae, when her senses suddenly went haywire. Looking up, she saw something flicker, and through that flicker, some smoke wafting upward. '_Sakar!'_ she thought angrily, breaking into a run.

Phlox finished dematerializing in the parking lot of the building in question, looking up for a second, then heading over to where the victims were being sent, medical kit in hand. He barely slowed down when he saw the burning building, having already seen his first patient. He noted their expressions, and also noted that many of them were coughing harshly.

Wheeler escorted an elderly lady out of immediate danger zone. "It'll be all right, miss," he said soothingly. "Just come this way."  
The old lady turned to stare at him. She had lived a very long, wonderful life, but she still had a very good memory. And she knew the young man who was helping her almost immediately. "Oh, I know. It isn't the first time." She looked at Wheeler's face. "You know, you have an uncanny resemblance to someone who used to live. Someone's kid." She looked at him more closely. "What is your name, young man?" she asked, already knowing.

Wheeler was struck dumb for a second. "Wheeler. Wheeler Sloane," he finally replied.

The lady smiled. She still had it. "Well, it's good to know that you're alive, carrying on the family tradition. You are definitely your father's son."  
"But, my dad wasn't-"

She waved off his feeble protest "Oh, I'm sure they had some reason when he showed up."

"Who? Who showed up?"

"Why, the bastard who killed your parents, of course." She looked at Wheeler. "But then again, it could just be an old lady's eyesight going on her." That was a bald faced lie, of course, but she wasn't going to tell him that. He would figure it out soon enough on his own.  
Wheeler paled for a second, then steeled himself. "Stay here. You'll be safe." With that, he headed back towards the fire, his mind now occupied with what she had said.

He just hoped he could figure out what she had meant by that.

----

Smith nodded approvingly as the Planeteers worked together, with a cohesiveness that he had never seen before in any of the previous teams. "What finesse," he noted. "What efficiency. But why are they not all using their powers? Earth Planeteers were more useful than this Kwame is currently."

Sakar was about to mention that little detail himself. "Well, I believe it to be the fact that he is one of the reserve Planeteers, and has a weaker ring because of it. Probably designed to help create this Captain Planet I have heard about. Though I wonder what God gave him the name Captain Planet."  
"Probably Loki."

Sakar grinned. "Of course, those three Planeteers are not why we are here, and neither is Captain Archer. I am only interested in those four-," He pointed at Wheeler, Linka, T-Pol, and Tucker, "-and those two." He pointed at Peter and Wendy. "And they are all here. Let's see how they react to this situation."  
----

Peter and Wendy hovered for a moment, trying to figure out how they could help, when they heard a number of voices crying for help. They looked to see several people standing on the roof of the apartment, looking absolutely terrified. And the smoke was starting to overcome them.

"Peter! We need to help them!"

Peter, realizing in the first few moments of the fire the same exact thing, nodded. "Get the little girl. I'll get the adult!" With that, they both flew into motion.

----

Smith simply shook his head. "Fliers," he muttered, then simply made a gesture with his hands. "Always thinking that they're above the line of fire. They can also be extremely…aggravating."

----

As the two neared the building, the top windows suddenly exploded outward, forcing Peter and Wendy to break off their approach. Almost following the glass, several fire balls erupted out of them. All of them arcing toward the two of them.

Wheeler looked up to see the impossible detail of two people hovering in mid-air, then at what was heading in their direction. '_Now I can do some good fighting this fire!'_ he thought, raising his ring. "_Fire!"_

Instantly, several fireballs erupted from his ring, heading on a collision course with the fireballs in the air.

Peter flew upward, avoiding the first projectile, then another one. Wendy, while nowhere as adept at flying as her friend, still managed to avoid one of them as well. She was ready to avoid another one, when it collided with another fireball, destroying it instantly. Several more met the same fate, as Wheeler's attacks struck them one by one. He kept the up barrage, though a nagging suspicion was starting to form.

'_This is damn peculiar. Maybe the fire was a coincidence, but those fireballs aren't supposed to reach that height, or strike out like missiles. Apartment building's gas tanks aren't located on the top floor, and definitely not in every room of the top floor. Which means…'_

With these friendly fireballs watching their backs, Peter and Wendy flew in, collecting those people from the roof, and flying them to the far side of the lot.

The kid looked at Wendy in awe as she landed. "Wow, are you a Sailor Scout?" she asked.

Wendy was confused. "Um…no, I'm not. What are they like?"

The girl just looked at her. "Never mind," she muttered. "But, aren't ya gonna go help the Planeteers?"

"Come on, Wendy!" Peter shouted. "We need to get back in there!"

Wendy snapped out of her stupor before turning around, and flying back into the fray. The two of them fell into a pattern, flying up, rescuing the trapped people, then bringing them down to the lot. In the space of five minutes, they had managed to rescue every last one of them.

Wheeler brought his ring down, relieved to see that the others were still doing everything in their power to contain the fire, and getting the survivors out of the way. He began to turn around.

"_Help!"_

Wheeler turned around sharply at the sound of the terrified voice. His eye widened at the sight of a young lady on the second floor, screaming in terror. Without thinking, without knowing why he was suddenly feeling a sense of desperation at seeing her in trouble, he tore for the building.

Linka saw what he was doing. "Wheeler, what are you doing?!" she shouted.

"There's someone trapped in the building!" was the only reply she received as the Fire Planeteer bounded up the stairs. Barely slowing down, he rammed his foot into the door, knocking it in, then running into the middle of it.

"_Wheeler!"_

Gi looked over at Linka, who looked decidedly torn as to whether to stay in one place, or follow him in. '_Is that boy crazy or something?!' _she asked herself. '_Going into a burning building is suicide on any given day!'_

Linka stared at the door's for what seemed like an eternity, even though it was only for ten minutes. Her eyesight blurred as tears tried to come out of her eyes. Savagely forcing herself to blink them back, she watched the building, maintaining her wind funnel. '_Please, Wheeler, please come back safely!' _she prayed silently.

Suddenly, as if God himself had decided to answer her prayer, Wheeler chose that moment to stagger out of the building, the young lady in his arms. She was red faced from the heat, and coughing violently. Wheeler, coughing somewhat as well, carried her away from the fire, handing her over to Ma-Ti. "Go!" he shouted hoarsely. "It's getting worse."

The lady looked up. "Wait!" she exclaimed, getting a good look at her rescuer, her eyes going wide. "Wheeler? Wheeler, is that you?"

Linka saw a look of absolute confusion flit through Wheeler's face for a moment. "Um…"

The Fire Planeteer was saved from trying to answer the lady when the second highest floor literally exploded. Glass flew outward, and fire went out like it had been shot out of a cannon. Peter and Wendy peeled off in time.

Archer covered the person he was busy with first aid on, feeling several of the shards nick his arms, and more hit him in his back. He straightened up, feeling a massive sense of relief when he felt it all fall to the ground. Forgetting about it a second later, he shouted, "Phlox! This one has second-degree burns!"  
"I will attend to her as soon as I can!" Phlox shot back. "This one is worse off. Commander Tucker, please use this air mask to deliver oxygen to the patient! Do it slowly, though! You don't want to force the patient into hyperventilation!"

Gi and Linka were trying their best to contain the fire, but all of their efforts were in vain. The fire was growing, the outside walls were starting to blacken, and the structure was ready to collapse. All they were doing was delaying the inevitable.

Tucker looked around. "Where the hell are the fire trucks?" he shouted.

Upon reflection, Archer realized that it was a very good question. Where _were_ the fire trucks? They usually responded by this time, even if they were volunteer. The fact they weren't here was not a good thing.

In all actuality, if any of them were to run to any point beyond the empty buildings radius, they would have noticed that no smoke could be seen, no one was panicking, or making a move to their cell phones to place a call to one of the many fire companies in the city. In fact, one could even say that it was just an ordinary day in New York City.

"Archer to _Enterprise!"_ Archer shouted from his communicator.

"_Reed here, sir."_

"I want you to do a sensor sweep of the city! Then send for the fire fighting professionals! We've got to get this fire under control here!"

There was pause. "_Um, sir, not to sound like I doubt you or anything, but I have sensors trained on you, and according to the scans, there is no fire in your position."_

Archer took one look at the fire. "Well, it looks like there's a fire to me!" he shouted.

Wheeler ran up. "Excuse me, Captain Archer?" He nodded to the communicator. Archer, realizing what he meant by that nod, handed it too him. "Mister…"  
"_Reed."_

"Mister Reed, this is Wheeler, one of the Planeteers. Are you sure that your scanning equipment isn't malfunctioning?"

"_I've done several diagnostics on it over the last half hour out of sheer boredom. I'm very sure."_

"Thank you." Wheeler handed it back to Archer. "This fire may or may not be an illusion. However, it's still very dangerous as long as it's going. We still need to contain it."

Kwame ran up to him. "Linka and Gi cannot hold out for much longer!" he shouted. "We need some teamwork for this one!"  
"Right! Linka, Gi, Ma-Ti! Time to play the trump card! Kwame?"

"_Earth!"_

"_Fire!"_

"_Wind!"  
"Water!"_

"_Heart!"_

Once more, their powers erupted from their rings, coming together to form Captain Planet. Once more, he appeared in a blinding flash of light. This time, though, he had a very captive audience.

T-Pol blinked. "Well, that is certainly…unique."

"'Flat out impossible' is the term Ah'd use," Tucker stated, wide eyed.

Planet looked at the building for a second, then looked around, a plan percolating in his mind. "Aha! Giant water tank, ready for use!" He frowned. "Now, how to get it over here without losing it…"

"Maybe I can help," Peter declared, flying up next to him. "I just so happen to have a bag of pixie dust. I can use it to make that…'water tank' thing a ma bobber float in the air. All you'd have to do is guide it."

Planet nodded. "Well, I don't know what you're talking about, but I'll go with it! Let's go get it!"

And that's what they set out to do.

----

Smith was now very impressed. Despite the bad name, Captain Planet was every bit as powerful as Gaia on any given day. And from what he had heard, he was more than a match for Zarm. And all of his power was devoted to protecting the environment, and people. Not that he couldn't be a warrior as well.

Sakar was also impressed. "They didn't call him until the situation had worsened nearly to the point of no return," he said. "They are just as tenacious as any other Planeteer out there."

"And it is so informative," Smith replied. "I say the test is a success."

"I agree. You may stop it, now."

Smith waved his hand once.

----

Wheeler was ready to go and call Clash for backup, when the fire stopped.

Literally.

One moment, it was becoming larger and larger, the heat starting to sear his lungs, and then…nothing. The fire was gone. The apartment itself looked like it had never been touched by flame. All the gasps of pain, and all of the coughing halted.

Planet and Peter spun around. "What the…?" Planet managed to get out, confused.

The young boy finished his spin, then flew back over to the lot, his confusion holding a certain…irritation to it. He had no idea why, but it was there.

T-Pol and Tucker stared at the building. "What just happened?" Tucker asked.

"Another flat out impossibility." T-Pol looked at Archer. "I believe that young Wheeler's hypothesis has been borne out."

Phlox stared at his next patient. "That's not all, Captain," he said. "All of their injuries, as well as every symptom for a smoke inhalation victim, are gone. It's almost as though someone had healed them."  
"Or they were never injured at all."

"Exactly."

The people started milling around in confusion, checking themselves over. The same question could be seen in their eyes; What was going on? Why did they seem okay? Their home was burning. Why did it look like it was never touched now?

Peter landed next to Wendy, confused. "I'm guessing this doesn't happen too often," he said.

"Regardless of how far in the future we are, I don't think they've developed a means to snuff a fire out instantly." Wendy looked around. "Peter," she said, getting the boys attention, "over there. I think that's T-Pol."

Peter looked as well. "By jove, you're right. Let's go say hello."

Linka turned to see the two teenagers begin walking over in their direction. She headed over to them, her curiosity getting the better of her as to who they were. "Excuse me," she said, getting their attention, "but I was wondering…if you two are from around here."

"Why do you ask?" Wendy asked.

"Because I do not recall seeing a full body nightgown with sleeves in the stores these days. Or clothing made out of leaves."  
"Um, would you believe me if I said that we are from the past?"  
"_Da._ Nice sweater, by the way."

"Thank you."

Phlox checked over another person. "Captain, I can't be sure, but all of these people are perfectly fine. However, I suggest that we take them to a hospital, so as to given a thorough examination. I also suggest that he," with that, pointed to Wheeler, "get checked as well."

Archer nodded. He had had the same idea. "Excuse me, young man!" He called out. "Excuse me!"

Wheeler didn't seem to hear, as he was staring at something. Specifically, the name of the apartment building. And he was staring at it like he had seen it before. His expression certainly seemed to say so.

Linka walked up. "Yankee?" he said quietly, trying to get his attention. "What is it?"

Wheeler pointed to the sign. "Metropolitan Apartment Complex."

"Wha-?" Linka also took a look at it. After a few seconds, it clicked. "_Boshe Moi!"_ she gasped. "This was the apartment in my dreams!"

The Fire Planeteer nodded once, his emotions wreaking havoc on his self control. His face was now an iron mask. "I see it in my dreams as well, especially now," he said quietly.

Wendy, confused now, walked up to them. "Excuse me, but, what are you two looking at?"  
Linka pointed. "Let us just say," she began, "that the two of us are having a serious case of Deja-vu."

"Deja-Vu?" Wendy asked, confused, then took a good look at the sign. Her eyes widened. "Good Lord…"

Mr. Darling ran up to her. "Young lady, what did you think you were doing? It was absolutely dangerous to try and save those people! You should have let the adults…Wendy? Wendy, are you listening to me?" He stared at his daughter. "Wendy?"

Wendy's eyes were fixated on that sign, like she had seen it before. And then…

_Fire. Fire everywhere, filling her vision with orange flames. The screams filling the air as firefighters with massive trucks tried to contain the blaze. A sinister laugh filling her ears…_

Wendy gasped in shock, staggering back a step. "I know this place…" she murmured. "I have seen it before…"

"Wendy?" Peter asked, laying a hand on her shoulder. "Wendy, what's wrong?"

George stared at his only daughter in concern. She looked very afraid now, nowhere near as when the building appeared to be on fire. But afraid, as though she had just seen something she didn't think she would ever see. And she was also ignoring everything around her as well, which was unusual in itself for her.

Peter, unable to divert Wendy's attention, followed her gaze, and went still as his eyes fell upon the sign. He didn't say anything, because words were not needed to express his surprise.

Trip walked up. "C'mon, you four. We need…" His voice trailed off as he saw what they were looking at. "My God."

"Commander Tucker?"

Trip turned to stare at T-Pol. "Oh, it's…nothing, T-Pol. Just thought Ah saw somethin' that Ah thought was familiar. That's all."

T-Pol turned to see what they were all staring at. Her eyes widened fractionally, but that was all. "Then I'll join in that," she said, somewhat shakily. "Because I have just had a case of…what is it when humans see something they thought they saw before, but never did?"

"You are having a sense of Deja-vu, too?" Linka asked.

"Yes."

Archer looked at them all. "What?"

None of them heard him, as they continued to stare at it. Then, Wheeler began walking forward towards the building itself.

Linka snapped out of it. "Wheeler, what are you doing?"

He didn't reply as he walked to the wall. Once he was a foot away, he held up his hand, placing it on the surface briefly, then pulling back. The wall was cool, making him suspicious for a second, and then putting the pieces of the puzzle together. He turned around quickly, realizing immediately what was going on. "It's a trap!" he shouted. "Everyone out, now!"

Archer was momentarily bowled down by the sudden command, but then he turned around. "Alright, you heard the man! Everybody vacate the premises now!"  
Almost immediately, they did so, showing that they had drilled on this situation a good number of times. Some of them even had had some sort of experience with this type of situation, and were busy directing the others out of the parking lot.

Millicent stepped out of the shuttlecraft, Slightly and Mary right behind her, just in time to see a large group of people run out of the disaster area in an orderly fashion. Amongst them was a man who looked like he had two snakes under the skin on his face, and George. She also saw several member's of the Planeteer group run out as well.

Laura stepped around her, and headed over to them. "Ma-Ti, what's going on?" she shouted.

"Someone set us up!" Ma-Ti replied. "It is a trap!"

Archer ran out, and turned around. "Come on, you six! Move it!"

Trip and T-Pol tore their gaze away from the building, and started heading over to the exit. Peter and Wendy flew ahead, passing Wheeler and Linka as they did so.

Smith sighed. "My Lord, your shield is stronger, and will hold them."

"Yes, I know. I just want them to think that they will escape, and then crush their chances," Sakar replied, his grin becoming more malicious. He waited another thirty seconds, then raised his hand.

Peter and Wendy had just reached the exit, when suddenly, a field of energy suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They slammed into it, the backlash effect throwing them back several feet. They hit the ground, sliding backwards.

Wheeler and Linka hit it next, stumbling back a feet steps in surprise. Trip stopped just as he reached the field, holding out an arm to stop T-Pol. He ran his hand over the field, feeling an electrical static charge creep over the palm of his hand. "Well, this is a problem."

Wheeler helped the two teenagers up. "You two all right?" he asked.

Wendy checked herself over. "I'm fine."

Peter ignored the question. "What in the world was that?" he asked.

"Some type of force field." Trip thought about hitting the bluish tint barrier in frustration, but decided not to put his limb on the line. "It's sealed us off from the others." He pulled out his communicator. "Tucker to Cap'n Archer."

Static was all he heard.

T-Pol walked up. "T-Pol to _Enterprise,_"she said, receiving the same reception. "This field must be effecting communication."

Wheeler closed his eyes, and tried sending a mental summons to Ma-Ti, then to Gaia. "Apparently, it also cuts off telepathic summons, too." He looked around. "Whoever did this, wanted us."

"Very astute. And we do have you."

Their heads snapped around at the unexpected voice, one so cold and merciless that it made Hook seem like a mellow sort of fellow, so full of forgiveness. And that was saying something.

The gasp of surprise came from Wendy, who had never seen such a person before. The second one came from Linka, who realized who it was.

For Wheeler, all that came over him was a small, bubbling pot of rage as he laid eyes on his nemesis. He didn't know why, it was just there.

Archer hit the force field, stumbled back a step or two, then stepped up to the field. He saw the six who didn't get out turn around, though for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why.

George stepped up next to him. "What is going on?" he asked.

"No idea. And I can't enter there for some reason to find out." Archer ran his hand over the field. "But whatever they're looking at, it's got them concerned."

Everyone crowded around them, trying to see what was going on. Slightly and Tootles were in front, now right next to the captain. Mary and Millicent were behind them.

Mayweather looked over Cubby. "Want me to turn the shuttle around so the phase cannons are pointing in this direction?" he asked.

Archer nodded. "And hurry. I get the feeling that they're in a lot of trouble." The pilot nodded, heading over to the shuttle. Archer turned his head to stare into the lot again.

Over the next fifteen minutes, he, and all of the others, would get a very good glimpse at the most dangerous being in the universe.

The Spirit Sakar stepped down the last few steps with Smith right next to him, grinning at the group of them. He enjoyed their collective shock, as well as their collective fear. His grin grew as he set eyes on the one he wanted to meet the most stare at him. Anger, and confusion were the expression on his face.

He walked forward, stopping when he was directly in front of them, then moving to the left a bit, observing the two in front of him for a moment. "Commander Charles 'Trip' Tucker the Third," he said, rolling the name on his tongue, "and Sub-commander T-Pol of…Vulcan, I believe." His amusement grew at the looks of surprise. "We meet at last." He observed them for a moment. "I always imagined you both…closer. Isn't that odd?" He stepped to the right, so that he was directly in front of the two youngest in the area.

Wendy fidgeted a little under the man's stare. It was as hard as diamond, cruel and impersonal. She could feel the evil radiate off of him, and it chilled her to the core.

Sakar stared at them for a second, taking in their features. "Wendy Moira Angela Darling, and Peter Pan," he said. "So, the wonderful boy has come out of his Neverland shell to be with the woman he adores." He pretended to gag. "How sickly sweet. It's so sweet, that I'm getting cavities." He gave them no chance to speak, as he moved over again. "And of course, Linka Ivanova, the Wind Planeteer. Tell me, do you still have those dreams of the past, when I almost burned this place to the ground?" He chuckled as he saw Linka's eyes widened in shock. "Or, do you have nightmares of your cousin…Boris, isn't it…dying time after time, and there being nothing you could do to stop it?"

Now Wheeler had a reason to be angry, as he saw Linka step back slightly, terrified out of her mind. He took a step forward.

Sakar, as if noticing this, grinned. "Ah, but I know you deal with it." He now stepped in front of Wheeler. "And of course, there's you. The Fire Planeteer." He smirked. "I never forget a face, Wheeler…Sloane." He observed that Wheeler seemed somewhat surprised by this. "I always wondered when I would be seeing you again." He didn't speak again to Wheeler, and instead stepped backward a few feet, so as to observe the six of them. "Probably not the greatest fighting force in looks, but definitely dangerous, nevertheless. As you are undoubtedly beginning to suspect, I am the one who had the mirage set up for your…amusement."

Wheeler put two and two together. "Sakar, I presume?" he asked acidly.

The spirit grinned. "I see Gaia has told you about me, Mr. Sloane. How quaint. But then, you should have known about me already. Isn't that right?"

"What?" Wheeler's confusion came back full force. What did Sakar mean by that? Wheeler hadn't even known of Sakar until Gaia had told him.

_Oh, yes you did. You've known of him since you were old enough to understand._

Wheeler winced in momentary pain as that thought went through his head. Closing his eyes for a second, he waited for it to pass.

Trip spared a look at the Planeteer, before turning to address this man. "Look, I don't know what you're talkin' about, but I'm sure-"

"You are sure of nothing," Smith interrupted. "In fact, you are not in any position to tell us anything. We, on the other hand, are in a position to tell you…everything." He looked at the apartment. "Amazing, isn't it? The way you mortals always rebuild in the face of defeat, and rally behind your pitiful banner of hope." He sighed. "What we must do to show you the reality of your position."

"And what position is that?" Peter asked.

Sakar stared at him in pity. "Honestly, I would have thought the spirit of youth would have known." He observed the young boy's confused expression, before realizing the truth. "You mean, Wendy never said a word?" he asked in surprise, turning to her. "You never told him? To amuse him and your brothers?" He walked up to them again. "You never realized the truth? And you, Mr. Sloane, you don't remember?" His sneer grew malicious. "Never remembered how in the year 1982, I attacked this pathetic domicile of humanity in an attempt to halt the prophecy. Your father, fighting to protect his family, which included, you, your mother, and of course, your little sister, from being murdered. In fact, she is standing over there with the rest of the weaklings, if my eyes do not deceive me."

Against his better judgment, Wheeler's own gaze slid over to the field, where the others were presently staring in. Slightly and the young lady Wheeler had saved were almost pressing their faces into the barrier. The young lady's gaze was extremely frightened, and her gaze was locked with him for a moment. Slightly was also extremely concerned, though his was for Wendy and Peter.

"Lovely human," Sakar's voice cut through the air, forcing the Planeteer to break his eye contact, and bringing his attention back to the immediate problem. "So full of life, and living that life to the fullest. Much like you, young man. However, she's been living in this building, under the collective gazes of the tenants, whereas you have been living in first a slum, then an island. They did a very good job, molding her into a very sophisticated sixteen year old, whereas…you know what I mean."

He shifted his gaze to Trip and T-Pol. "And as you two always know, there will always be someone who will want to hurt others for sheer enjoyment." He slowly walked around them, his gaze shifting to one of them in turn. "Never wondered what all those dreams of a young boy meant when you were younger, or when you were thinking of Kisses, or faeries. Never wondered when you were applying IDIC to your everyday life, or dreaming of being a chief engineer. Never wondered, why you stopped having those dreams after a certain point of your life."

"Okay, okay!" Wheeler finally shouted, holding a hand out angrily. "I don't know what the hell you're talking about, but I do know this! My dad and I were never on good speaking terms, and I certainly don't have a little sister!"  
"Oh, but you do!" Smith said, eyeing him closely. "But then, I guess the White Wizard would have suppressed your memories, so as to protect you from the Death Dealer. Believe me, you do have a sister. Your father loved you with all of his heart, and spent as much time with as he possibly could. At least, until you were nine."

Wheeler's rage dissipated upon hearing that. It was as if someone was giving him the pieces to an extremely difficult puzzle. And it seemed to be awakening something in him.

"They gave you time to get away," Sakar continued. "Your father paid the ultimate price, but not after he made me pay for it." He ran a finger over the jagged scar on his neck. "He gave me this, as his legacy to me. He died, though, nevertheless. And your mother…well, let's just say she won't recognizing anyone ever again." He laughed for a second, before sobering. "But your destiny was sealed, because I didn't stop hunting you."

Peter stepped forward, shielding Wendy somewhat. "What are you?"

Sakar turned to stare at him, amused. "I am what Heaven calls a spirit. Much like Gaia and Zarm, I have powers beyond anything you could ever imagine. Powers over preservation, and destruction." He gave Pan another look over. "Much like you, I'd imagine, _brother._" He laughed at the expression of shock on the boy's face. "Oh, not a brother by blood. After all, I was created by the powers of the Gods, while you gained your power through children. A spirit who was first a boy. I can't express how…disturbing that is."

Now the young boy was confused. He…a spirit? What was a spirit?

Smith grinned. "It was very disturbing to learn from that flabby oaf that you were a Planeteer, and that Miss Ivanova had also joined. He folded when his 'helper' was under my thumb."

"Greedily," Linka murmured.

"Correct. As I said, he was very helpful. He brought me up to date as to who I am dealing with, and your respective talents. Imagine my definitive surprise when I learned that you had made quite a name for yourselves. Even more so than your parents." He stepped forward again. "Now, what can I do to you to break you of your courage?" he asked. "Do I rip your entrails out, ever so slowly, or do I cripple you like I crippled your mother?"

Wheeler's eyes widened in shock. '_Those dreams were real?!'_

Suddenly, Smith grinned. "My Lord, why not do both? It should prove very entertaining."

Sakar grinned. "Why, you may be right, Smith." He looked at them all. "So, what would you all like me to do?"

"I know what I'd like you to do. Surrender…or die."

Everyone's head's snapped in the direction of the new voice, all very much surprised at it.

Sakar and T-Pol recognized who was coming. T-Pol was wondering how she made it through the shield. It would require more power than anything they had at that point.

Sakar, on the other hand, grinned delightedly. "Belldandy!" he exclaimed. "So good of you to join us!"

"I'm sure," Belldandy replied coolly.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

"Belldandy!" Sakar exclaimed delightfully, laying eyes on the first being to defeat him for the second time in eleven years. "So good of you to join us!"  
"I'm sure," Belldandy replied coolly, staring at the one creature she hated in the entire universe, keeping that hatred reigned in.

The group assembled watched in trepidation and amazement as the first class goddess walked towards them, her face a mask of repressed fury. Power emanated from her every pore like water from a spout. Her eyes were as flinty as ice. Her civilian clothes were gone, replaced with her battle uniform, complete with all of the trappings of her rank to go with it.

Sakar observed her for a moment, frowning mock-thoughtfully at her expression. "You don't look too happy to see me, Goddess. Was it because of something I said…or was it because of several things I did, or almost did?"

"Several things you did," Belldandy replied, coming to stand in front of the six. "Chief among them not surrendering when I gave you the option eleven years ago."

Wheeler and Linka traded glances, then looked at T-Pol. "Would you like to explain?" Linka asked.

T-Pol shook her head, not taking her eyes off the scene that was unfolding. "If I knew what she was talking about, then I'd tell you. I only met her once, and that was just a few short hours ago."

"Apparently," Wendy said quietly, "this is our day of meeting new people…and finding ourselves in a great deal of trouble in the process."

Smith grinned. "So, did you get my Lords package? Did you get my letter?"

Belldandy clenched one of her fists tightly. "Oh yes, I got them."

"Well, that's good to hear," Sakar replied sarcastically. "I always make sure my gifts find their way to the person that's supposed to receive them." He chuckled. "I would wonder how you managed to get past my barrier, but I can only surmise that you are powerful enough to do so."  
"You guessed correctly. What do you want?"

Sakar and his loyal servant looked at each other, then back at her. "Isn't it obvious?" Smith asked. "The answer is standing right behind you. The five humans and the vulcan."

The six in question all exchanged looks of confusion. What did this creep want with them? They hadn't done anything to him.

As if reading their mind, Sakar grinned. "Yes, you six, with an audience to watch your demise before joining you in death. And the best thing is that none of you can truly understand why you have been singled out by me." He closed his eyes. "All in all, a good day."

For a moment, silence reigned. "We won't go down so easily," Peter finally stated, his sword out and ready.

"I'll go with the kid. We aren't goin' down easily."  
Smith grinned, stepping forward, flexing his fists significantly. "Let's find out if that is true."

Sakar stepped forward as well, until he was directly in front of Belldandy, grinning maliciously. "However, goddesses are not invited to this rumble. But don't worry…you're going to have your hands full anyways…dealing with me." And with that, he slammed his fist into his adversarie's abdomen.

Belldandy felt the air leave her abruptly as she hurtled backwards at sixty mph, slamming into the force field. She slid to the ground in a shower of sparks, dazed.

Wendy turned to run over to her, but Smith's fist caught her in the side of the head, knocking her in one particular direction. She hit the ground, her head spinning.

Smith went on a preemptive offensive with a series of kicks, catching each one of them before they could even think about moving. He grabbed Linka, and tossed her several feet, before backhanding Peter into Trip, grabbing the child's sword in the process, and tossing it in the direction of the shield. He turned to stare at Wendy, still breathing normally. "You, I wouldn't expect a great deal of experience, but your friends are just as easy to defeat."

Wendy looked around, her eyes laying on a weapon, picking it up. "We are not out of the fight yet," she spat as she got up, pointing it at the agent.

Smith's eye brow raised fractionally in amusement as he adjusted his suit a bit. "A phase pistol. Most impressive." He stood in front of her. "Let's see if you can hit something with that."

Wendy, undaunted, pulled the trigger.

The phaser beam shot towards Smith…and Smith moved at an incredibly high speed, dodging it with ease, still smirking. Wendy fired randomly, with similar results each time. Frustrated, she threw the weapon down.

Smith merely smiled. "Pitiful. To be placed on the same pedestal as Hook. And here I thought you'd know better." He stepped forward.

"Hold it!"

The agent turned around to see the other five up on their feet, all of them ready to fight. He prepared himself accordingly, knowing what was coming.

Instantly, the six of them were striking hard and fast at all sides, blocking, dodging, and retaliating. Smith would knock one of them back several feet, then spin around to block another attack from behind. He moved confidently, gracefully, fighting with the aid of eons of experience.

However, it became apparent that these five were no pushovers in the department of combat. While they lacked the cohesiveness of teamwork, they definitely did a rather good job of anticipating when it was a good time to strike.

Then Wendy's fist connected with his head, and he made an additional note to his analysis; They could also hit hard.

Sakar walked up to Belldandy, kneeling down to pick her up by her hair.

Three seconds later, he flew through the air after the Goddess's fist slammed directly into his face, coming to rest at the other end of the lot, surprised. '_Definitely prepared,'_ he thought, massaging his jaw for a second. This was definitely not going to be like the last time, where she got a lucky shot in. This time, she was playing for keeps.

Archer turned to the shuttle, nodding once. Instantly, Mayweather fired at the shield with the shuttles phase cannons. The plan was simple; They were going to try and overload the shield. Hopefully, that's all that they needed to do. If not, then Archer was going to have to risk contacting _Enterprise_. And he didn't want to do that unless they had no other choice.

Smith stumbled back a few feet from a particularly hard strike, staring at the six people surrounding him in surprise…and with a new found sense of respect. "Impressive, all of you. But, can you do that again when I'm ready for you?" He cranked his neck, letting several bones crack.

Peter looked at Wendy, and nodded. Instantly, Wendy moved in, lashing out. The agent blocked each strike, then landed a kick in her gut.She stumbled back a few feet, barely avoiding wo more punches.

Peter's feet slammed into his face, forcing him back several feet. Wendy moved in, giving him several kicks to his upper body. She ducked when Peter came in, delivering a flying roundhouse kick to the man. Wheeler immediately back handed him, letting him slam into a wall. T-Pol's own attack got through, hitting with enough force to break an Andorian's bones.

Sakar got back to his feet, then moved quickly as Belldandy's staff whistled over his head. He brought his obsidian blade out to block the next attack from caving in his head. He was quickly beginning to realize that the Goddess was actually serious. She either brought him in for trial, or she would be bringing his corpse back to be buried. Not a pleasant thought. He liked it. It showed that she could get her hands dirty.

Smith pushed himself off the wall, pulling his sunglasses off of his face, tucking them into his shirt pocket. "I'm going to enjoy tearing you six apart with my bare hands." With that, he charged forward again, striking viciously. He brought his free hand into play, slamming it into Wheeler's side, then throwing him into the wall. He turned around, quickly blocking Linka, before sweeping her feet out from under her, and punching her into another wall. She hit the ground, stunned.

Trip planted his feet right into the Agent's head, forcing him back several feet, then moved as T-Pol came in, her hand stiff like a board, aiming at his throat. Smith grabbed it, ready to break the bone, but didn't see Peter come in. The youth speared him in the back, forcing him forward. T-Pol broke free from his grip, and slammed her hand into his throat. She brought her other hand up to perform the Nerve Pinch.

Smith's hand came out of nowhere, immobilizing her hand, then grabbing the other one as it came in. Then, he snapped his head forward, head butting her before kneeing her in the jaw. He turned around, launching several extremely fast strikes at Peter, flipping him in the air before giving him a punch to his back. The boy fell to the ground, a drumbeat echoing in his head. Not exactly Jazz. He looked up to see Smith preparing to finish him off. '_Oh boy, am I in trouble or what?'_ he thought.

In fact, Peter Pan would have been on the greatest adventure of all, if Linka hadn't suddenly entered the fray again, slamming into the Agent from the side, both fists embedding into his ribcage with all the power she could muster. It was a great deal of power, apparently, as Smith flew several feet in the opposite direction.

T-Pol and Wheeler followed him, striking at him before he fully got to his feet. He responded by latching his hands on Wheeler's legs, and throwing him into T-Pol. He went after them, kicking repeatedly.

T-Pol finally got up, trying to defend both herself and Wheeler. But she was still a little dazed from the violent journey she had just gone through. The Agent took advantage of this by breaking through her defenses, bashing her head with enough force to make it ring.

Wendy entered the fray again before he could continue his assault, hitting him several times, forcing him to turn his attention to her. She continued her offensive, pushing him away from the Fire Planeteer, and giving T-Pol a little breathing space. Smith retaliated, breaking through her offense like it was nothing and striking her in the chest...hard.

The young woman flew back, hitting the ground on her side. She choked for a second, trying to breathe, then spat outward in pain. A gout of crimson, her blood, exploded out of her mouth as she clutched her chest in agony.

Mary gasped, tears forming in her eyes at the scene. "He's going to kill her," she said softly. "He is going to kill my daughter. But why? My daughter has never done anything to him."  
"I going to assume that those two don't like her, or the rest of them for that matter, for the simple reason that they're alive," Archer replied. "Mayweather?"  
"_I don't even think _Enterprise's _phase cannons could break this shield!"_ Mayweather reported. "_It's just too powerful!"_

"Alright, cease fire, and land." Archer sighed, closing his communicator. "So much for that plan."

"It would appear that those six are on their own." Phlox looked at the other battle. "As she is."

Belldandy struck hard and fast, trying to break through her enemy's defenses. But Sakar was just too good, always staying one step ahead of his opponent. She kept it up though, not giving him a chance to retaliate.

Sakar suddenly swerved, his blade slicing through the air. Belldandy dodged, but the attack's purpose had been served. Sakar had shifted the momentum in his favor, his free hand coming up to backhand the Goddess. While she whirled, he kicked her in her spine. The force of the blow propelled her all the way into the apartment complex's wall, leaving an indentation in it. She slowly got up, rubbing her back a bit in pain, though her grip on her staff had tightened.

Sakar had to admit that Belldandy was a great deal better than he had originally thought. "You're good," he said, twirling his sword casually," but you are going to have to better than that."

"Then I'll try harder!" Belldandy retorted. Bracing herself, she charged again.

The Death Dealer waited patiently as she approached, then moved into motion, thrusting forward with his blade. He was simply going to skewer her as she moved.

But she had anticipated him.

When she was near the tip of his sword, she swerved, tripping him. She quickly started kicking him, not letting up.

Sakar blocked her foot at long last, bringing his own foot up, catching her in the jaw, forcing her to back off. He was no longer amused. "You are not the one to defeat me, Goddess!" he roared, his sword grip tightening. "Now I am going to kill you, and send your remains back to Yggdrasil in a pine box!"

"Come get some!"

He charged.

Smith watched as Wendy tried to get up, dragging herself away from him. Smirking slightly, he started walking towards her.

"Smith!"  
He jerked around, saw Wheeler back up on a vertical base, and knew that he was going to have to deal with him first. He turned his entire concentration to him, keeping his other senses open in case the others decided to try and attack him on his blindside.

Wheeler, acting on instinct alone, went into a battle stance, signaling with his hand for him to try and get him. He had no idea what he was doing, or how he was doing, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

Smith came in, ready to strike. Wheeler reacted immediately, trapping that fist, then doing it again. He repeated Smith's actions, head butting him twice, before punching him. He leaped up, kicking him several times in the face. Smith stumbled back, trying to mount some sort of counter attack. Wheeler kept up the assault, not giving any quarter.

Finally, Smith grabbed one of the Planeteer's legs, and used it to shift the momentum again by throwing him into the closet wall. As Wheeler staggered, bracing himself against that wall, the Agent stepped forward, and immediately started throwing lightning fast blows at him. They were so fast that Wheeler couldn't even thin about blocking them. Thus, he was so battered that when Smith grabbed him, he couldn't stop the Agent from throwing him.

At the same time, Sakar picked up Belldandy, and kicked her on a collision course. The Goddess and the Planeteer collided, sliding to the ground.

Linka helped Wendy up. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Wendy shook the question off. "We need to help your friend!" she stated. "They'll kill him if we don't!"

Trip nodded. She was right. "Alright, let's go!" He charged forward, the other four behind him.

Sakar turned to see them coming , gestured at Smith. Smith nodded, and picked up Wheeler. Sakar picked up Belldandy. As one, they threw the two of them at the incoming force. Their aim was accurate, too.

Linka struggled to get up, seeing Sakar look around, shaking his head. "This was too fast," she heard him tell Smith. "I was expecting more of a challenge."

Smith sighed. "Though I must admit, they did put up a good front. They actually hit me."

Sakar nodded. "That they did, my servant." He suddenly made a violent motion in the air. "But now, it is time to end the prophecy forever."

And, from every building in the immediate vicinity that had objects that weren't nailed into the ground, those very objects flew out of windows, heading right over to them.

Wheeler lifted his head, shaking his head. When his vision had cleared, he saw what was heading their way. Making a sudden motion of his own, he pushed the others as hard as he could away, using his hands and feet. Then he got up, picking up Belldandy as he did so. "Sorry," he told her, before he threw her in the same direction. And just in the nick of time too, because all those heavy objects rained down on him.

The girl pressed herself against the force field, ignoring the static field that arose from the contact. "No…Wheeler!" she shouted.

Wheeler gasped as the pressure to his entire form increased. The human body was simply not designed to take the amount of weight that was presently being forced upon him. The fact that he was still alive surprised him to no end. He wouldn't last much longer though, if he didn't come up with something fast.

And then, he remembered something Gaia had told them just the other day…

"_Fire and Wind were capable of manipulating their respective elements with uncanny ease."_

He instantly had an idea. "Let's hope this plan works. Otherwise, I'm road kill," he muttered.

Sakar and Smith looked at each other, then at the remaining six problems. They watched as Belldandy slowly got to her feet. Thinking the same thing again, they stepped forward.

"Stop!"

The Death Dealer turned around in amusement at the sound of that voice. He knew who they both were. "Ah, Urd, Peorth. So good of you to join us."

The two Goddesses glared at him as they landed. "You've got a lot of nerve, Sakar," Peorth growled.

"Does it look like I even remotely care what you fools think? I am here to destroy all of you. And then I will destroy your precious Heaven." Sakar turned to stare at Belldandy. "Starting with them first, then enslaving the rest of these mortals!" He stepped forward again, his intent obvious.

And the pile began to shudder.

Peorth and Urd jumped over the two beings, landing next to Belldandy. "This creep giving you problems again, sis?" Urd inquired.

Belldandy smiled slightly. "A few," she replied. "Chief among them, not surrendering when he was given the choice."

"And I don't plan on surrendering!" Sakar thundered. "So remove that ridiculous idea from your minds!"

The shuddering became more pronounced.

Planet struck the force field with all of his might, wincing as pain lanced through his entire arm. "Well," he noted, shaking his hand out, "so much for the direct approach."

Archer cursed. "Travis, open the hatch." He turned to address the rest of them. "All of you, get onboard now. We may need to get out of here quickly."

Millicent nodded. "Alright, children, into the…shuttle." She began ushering them in, quickly following them in.

George walked up to his wife. "Mary dear, there's nothing you can do now. Please, get in the shuttle." He didn't want her to have to see what was happening anymore.

Mary didn't move. Her gaze remained riveted on the impossible scene in front of her, on the fact that her daughter was just a few feet from her, and she couldn't even get to her. She almost broke down, crying.

"Hey, don't worry," the young lady stated next to her. "My brother will get them out of there. He's not a Planeteer for nothing."

Both Mary and Gi turned to stare at her. "What do you base that on, young lady?" Mary asked, desperation lacing her tone.

Gi was thinking the same thing. She knew Wheeler was extremely tough, but not even he was tough enough to get out of a large pile of rubble. "Yeah, what do you base that on?" she asked aloud.

The girl turned to look at her, as if it were obvious. "He's a Sloane. He can do it."

Trip rubbed his shoulder. "Why are you so hell bent on doin' us in?" he asked. "What'd we ever do to you?"

Sakar smirked. "You were born."

Smith reached for his jacket, ready to pull a weapon out…and looked down. "Mi'lord," he said, alarm growing in his tone. "He's not dead."

"What?" Sakar looked down.

And Wheeler chose that exact moment to stand up straight, showing that he did have a back bone. A veeeerrrry strong backbone…and an equally strong set of limbs.

The debris exploded in every direction, a massive gout of fire accompanying it. It shot upward like it had been shot out of a cannon, before angling in the direction of the enemy.

Sakar stood there, surprised beyond measure at this sudden turn of events. This was the first time a Fire Planeteer had actually gotten back up after he had squashed them. And as such, he wasn't ready. So when the fire blast struck him, he flew back into the apartment, smashing through the wall with enough force to throw him into the room across the hallway.

Wheeler stepped forward, and kicked Smith dead in the chest, knocking him back twenty feet into another wall. He turned his back on him, and brought his ring hand up. "Move!!!" he bellowed. "_Fire!"_

Immediately, everyone scattered as a powerful blast of flame erupted, more powerful than anything Wheeler had ever unleashed before in his time as a Planeteer. It slammed into the field, straining against it.

And the shield started sputtering as it tried to deal with that much raw power.

Linka got up, stared at the impossible, then brought her ring up as well. "_Wind!"_ Immediately, an enormous blast of wind shot from her ring, focused like a laser blast to strike at the weakening shield.

The effect was almost instantaneous.

The shield collapsed explosively.

At the same time, Sakar shot out of the building, taking in the surprising situation. He saw Smith get up, staring at the same thing in amazement.

Wheeler and Linka, on the other hand, took it all in stride. "Run!" they both shouted at once.

The others didn't need any more encouragement.

Mary and George almost collapsed with relief, but refrained. Instead, they waited until Wendy and the others were out of the lot, and then started running for the shuttle.

Archer waited for them to get in, then boarded himself. "We're out of room, Travis! Take off!" he ordered. Mayweather complied, firing the thrusters.

Wheeler led the rest of them to the Geo Cruiser, where the other Planeteers and Laura were waiting. "Prepare for take off!" Linka shouted. "We must make a hasty retreat!"

"Already done!" Gi sat down. "Just get in, and we'll get outta here!" She waited until they all boarded and had shut the doors, before she fired the thrusters.

The three Goddesses stopped, and turned, unleashing a full scale attack at the approaching Spirit. They forced him and his agent to scatter, buying them some time to escape.

Now the hard part, getting away themselves.

Gi put more power into the thrusters, increasing their output. She kept her grip on the steering wheel, praying that she could gain some altitude.

The alternative was not worth thinking about.

* * *

Ex shot out of the center seat, staring at the screen for a second as a plan finished forming. She looked in Ere's direction. "Is there any way to help them?" she asked. "Fire one of the defensive weapons at Sakar?"

"We don't have any weapon with can do that…at least, no weapon powerful enough to stop Sakar, or his right hand man."  
"I don't need a weapon that can stop them! Just one that can delay them so that the three of them can escape!"  
Chrono nodded once. "Powering up the Midas laser," she reported, typing in the necessary protocols. "Ready to fire on your command."

Ex nodded, waited a few seconds for the targeting system to lock on to Sakar, then said, "Fire."

* * *

Belldandy and Peorth kept firing, dropping back as they did so. Belldandy wasn't going to unleash her full power in front of a large number of witnesses, and Peorth and Urd just wanted to get them all out of there alive. Something that wasn't going to happen while they were engaged with the Death Dealer.

Sakar laughed, advancing. Smith, moving a little slower, did the same. "Come on, Belldandy! You didn't have any problem going all out before against me! Why do you hesitate now? It is the only you're going to kill me!"

The First Class Goddess felt all of her hatred for this monster bubble to the surface. She put an iron clad control on it though. She wasn't going to stoop to his level, destroying innocent people just to defeat him. She was better than that…better than him.

But at this point, there didn't seem to be any other way for them to get out…and they couldn't hold him off for much longer.

Urd turned around, saw the Geo Cruiser slowly gain altitude. "They're almost out, girls!" she said.

Smith looked up. "Not if I have any say in it." He pulled a weapon out of his coat suit, and aimed it.

Urd's eyes widened as she saw the weapon in his hand. '_Oh shit! They didn't…!'_

The good thing was the fact that he never got to fire it.

As he aligned it with the Cruiser, several laser thin beams hit struck the ground near him, forcing him to break off his attack. Sakar created a force field around himself, also breaking off his assault.

Peorth silently thanked Ex for her quick thinking. "Let's go!" she shouted.

"No argument from me!" Urd replied.

Quickly, the three Goddessses powered up for flight, and shot up into the air quickly. Almost immediately, the firing stopped, Midas having served it's immediate purpose. At the same time, the Geo Cruiser managed to gain enough altitude so that it was above the buildings it was surrounded by. The main engine suddenly flared up, shooting the plane forward. She angled in the direction of Hope Island, the shuttle and the three flying females right behind them.

Sakar stood up, watching them disappear into the horizon. "Not bad, Mr. Sloane," he grumbled. "But when next we meet, you will not be so lucky." He waited until Smith had re-emerged from his spot, then said, "Let us finish building our army. We have two weeks until the Sunak attack."

Smith bowed, glaring daggers at the speck that was the retreating Planeteers through his sunglasses. "As you wish, milord."

They turned around, and walked away, blending into the shadows.

* * *

Wheeler collapsed into his seat, exhaustion literally emanating from his body. Almost immediately, Linka was next to him, checking him over. "Are you alright?" she asked.

Wheeler nodded. "I may never breathe properly again, but yeah," he replied. He looked at Trip. "And how are all of you on this fine day?"

Trip managed to smile. "Pretty good, all things considered."

Wendy plopped down in an empty seat. "Alright, I give up. What ever is going on around here?"

"We do not know," Linka replied. "But I do believe there are those who do." She pointed out the window.

There, flying right between the two vehicles, were the three Goddesses, all of them none the worse for wear considering.

Peter stared at them. "How is it that they're flying?" he asked.

T-Pol looked as well. "I believe it's because they're omnipotent."

"We'll find out later!" Laura snapped. "For now, let's just get back to the island!"

Wheeler nodded, eyelids drooping. The fight, and the superhuman effort he exhibited, were catching up with him. "Wake me when we get there." He slumped back into his seat, falling asleep instantly.

No one disturbed him the entire trip back.

* * *

Gaia and Clash ran out of the Crystal Chamber, heading for the Geo Cruiser landing pad. Ma-Ti had contacted them, informing them that they were coming with refuges from New York, as well as Captain Archer, and several extremely powerful beings. For some reason, that last one gave the Spirit of Earth a strange feeling.

They arrived at the pad just as the Cruiser landed, the shuttle right next to them. Almost immediately, both vehicles began burping people, many of them civilians. Most of them were looking around in confusion.

Wheeler jumped out of the Geo Cruiser, quickly followed by Linka. "Hey, guys!" he called out mock joyfully. "How's it going?"

"Ask us again later." Clash walked over to the shuttle pod. "Captain Archer, I presume," he said.

Archer nodded. "I see that you have the attacker. I assume the pilot is alive."

"Pretty much," Gaia replied. "we've had to tie him up, and lock him in a spare room. Not exactly how you should treat a prisoner."

Archer nodded, pulling out his communicator. "Archer to _Enterprise_."

"_Reed here, sir."_

"Get down here. The Planeteer's have the prisoner, but apparently have had no success in getting any information out of him."

"_I'll be down as soon as possible," Reed informed him._

"Archer out." Archer shut the communicator, the felt someone staring at him. He turned. "Can I help you?"

Peorth motioned to the communicator. "Can I borrow that?" she asked. "I need to contact Yggdrasil."  
The man handed it over. "Go ahead."

Peorth nodded in thanks, then turned it on, muttering a spell before bringing it to her mouth. "Peorth to Ex."

"_Yes, ma'am?" _Ex replied

"Ceres is back in Heaven, so I want you, Ere, and Chrono down here to help with the interrogation of the prisoner. We may be able to show this one that all spirits aren't as horrible as Sakar."

"_Okay, we'll be down as soon as we can. And thank you! I want out of this seat!" _The communication ended to Ex's sigh of relief.

Peorth chuckled, closing the device and handing it back to Archer. "Thank you."  
Archer nodded, before turning around. "Phlox?"

Phlox brought his medical kit out. "I'm going to need to check Commander Tucker and T-Pol, as well as the other four for injuries. I will also want to check that young lady as well."

"I'm fine," Belldandy told him.

"That is up for debate. You took several extremely deadly blows."

"Yeah, so did I!" Wheeler interjected. "And I'm up and about!"

The argument would have continued on this line for a while longer, except Gaia held up a hand. "Alright, as thrilling as this all seems to your doctor, I do have a few questions that need answering. So if everyone is relatively fine, I'd like those question answered. For starters, the question I've wanted answered for almost eleven years, who _are_ you people?"

Belldandy smiled. "We were never properly introduced, Gaia. I am Belldandy, Goddess First Class. This is my half sister, Urd, and this is Peorth." Her smile faded. "And we have information on Sakar, as well as the Sunak. We need to use Planet Vision to better tell you."

"Go on, I'll take care of things here." Clash gestured. "Laura, go with Ma-Ti and the others. I can handle this."  
Laura jumped a bit, startled. She had been helping an elderly lady out of the shuttle pod. "Sorry," she apologized.

"Don't worry. Okay, everyone, please follow me!"

The Darlings detached from the main throng, heading over to Wendy. Mary immediately crushed her in a bear hug. "Oh, Wendy! We were so worried. Are you alright? Are you-?"  
"I am for now, but if you keep crushing me like this, I might have internal injuries!" Wendy gasped, squirming.

"Oh." Mary released her. "Sorry…where are you going?"

She pointed in the direction of the huts. "I have been targeted by this 'Sakar' person, so I want to know everything there is to know about him." She paused. "I'm also going because Peter is there," she added, smirking slightly.

The girl didn't follow the rest of the refugees, instead walking with Wheeler and Linka, watching the Fire Planeteer with a speculative air. Wheeler noticed this, and turned to stare at her. "Yes?" he inquired.

The girl grinned, with that mischievous expression on her face the Planeteer's usually associated with Wheeler. "Katie. Katie Sloane, remember? Your little sister?"

"Ummm…"

Linka turned to look at her as well. "I do not believe that Wheeler has any idea what you're talking about," she said.

Katie's face fell, but brightened immediately. "Well, I'll help you remember, then. I just found you after eleven years. I'm not leaving your side until you give me every unsavory detail of your time as a Planeteer!"  
Linka grinned despite herself. "She is a Sloane, alright!"

Wheeler started grinning as well. "I'm beginning to think that as well," he murmured thoughtfully. His attention sharpened. "But right now, I want to know what Sakar has against me…and you, Linka. And those other four, for that matter."

"_Da_, so do I."

* * *

"Planet Vision, access file twenty three, and display it on the screen," Peorth ordered. Instantly, the file number appeared, showing the face of Sakar, as well as his bio. Satisfied, she turned around to face the small crowd in front of her. "The creature's name, as you already have learned, is Sakar." She looked apologetically in Gaia's direction. "He is a rogue spirit, one who has betrayed his purpose in a most violent fashion. And Yggdrasil has tried to stop him for over two thousand years with no success."

Archer looked at the profile speculatively. "Yggdrasil…you mean, Heaven?" he asked.

Urd nodded. "Yeah, the place where most people go to when they die," she replied. "However, another purpose is to maintain the universe…to keep it from dissolving into chaos. But that's not the immediate problem."

"We know." Gaia sighed. "So, he really is a spirit."  
Belldandy sighed. "We're afraid so, Gaia. And he is an extremely powerful one at that. Too powerful for many of the gods and goddesses in Heaven…except for a select few."

Kwame observed the picture of Sakar for a moment. "I am going to assume that you are among those 'select few,' Miss Belldandy."

"Unfortunately," Belldandy grumbled.

"The point," Peorth drove on, "is that Sakar's habits have changed since the events that happened eleven years ago. He's amassing an army, targeting those that no one is likely to miss. As of now, he's created an army of about two thousand, with no end in sight."

"Two thousand?" Wendy inquired. "It's like he's preparing to do battle against these people."  
"He is, kid." Urd sighed. "The problem's that unless we get permission from the Supreme Council of Heaven to reveal ourselves to the entire world, we're effectively limited to small strikes in extreme circumstances. Like the apartment building."

Wheeler nodded. "Okay, I can accept that. I do have one question though…why? Why is he after us? Me and Linka in particular?"

Peorth turned to look at him. "That's the one thing that we don't know. However…" she stopped, trying to find the right words. "There are those of us in Heaven," she started slowly, "who believe that there are humans who possess the ability to defeat Sakar. They also believe in a prophecy that started almost a thousand years ago."

"A prophecy?" Gaia mumbled. She snapped her fingers. "That's what that voice was saying! A prophecy of some sort!"

Peorth nodded. "I don't know what the exact prophecy stated, but I do know that it was focusing on this young lady's ancestors."

"And Wheeler's!" Katie jerked her thumb in the aforementioned boy's direction. "I know for a fact that this guy is my brother!"

Wheeler held up a hand. "Hold on, kid! I'm definitely not some all powerful warrior! I'm just a Planeteer!"

Katie turned to look at him. "Then can you explain why you were able to escape from Sakar? Can you explain how you were able to fight so well? Because 'just a Planeteer' wouldn't be able to do that. And I would know if you weren't my brother."

"And how is that?"

Katie smirked. "Because you have the ring that Dad used when he became a Planeteer, almost twenty years ago."

Gaia's eyes widened in shock. Certain Planeteer rings were extremely difficult to remember, as there were almost identical. How did she know?  
Wheeler took a step back in surprise, looking down at his ring. "But…that's impossible. That would mean…"  
"…that you are the child that disappeared," Peorth finished, surprise evident in tone. "If that's the case, we've been searching for you for eleven years."

Urd started chuckling, smiling in that way she had. "And to think, the boy's been under the boss lady's nose for a decade. How do we rub it in her face?"

"Very carefully, sister," Belldandy replied reproachfully.

Wheeler blinked once. "Excuse me…the child who disappeared?" He grinned uneasily. "Yeah, right. That's a good one."

"Excuse me," Archer suddenly piped up, "but could you explain it to those of us who have no idea what's going on?"

Gaia nodded, gesturing to the door. "Let's take a walk, Captain, and I'll explain everything I know. Hopefully, you'll have an idea on what we can do."

As the two walked out of the Crystal Chamber, Wheeler looked at Peorth, trying to see the joke. When he saw the lack of humor in her gaze, his gaze widened. "You people are serious. You think I'm that…kid."  
"Well, she seems to think so." Peorth gestured at Katie. "And in case you weren't paying much attention to your own defense, you were exhibiting better than average strength for a muscleman. You also showed a skill in using your abilities that no warrior of Fire has ever been able to do. So you have to be."

Wheeler sighed. He found a chair to sit down in, his mind reeling. "Well, it's news to me," he informed them wearily. "And lately, I've been questioning whether anything in my life is true or not."

T-Pol stared at him for a second, something tingling in the back of her head. "Perhaps I can help you determine what is real, and what is not."  
Everyone turned to stare at her. "I'm sorry…what can you do?" Wendy asked.

Trip knew what she was talking about. "You're not serious. You're planin' on doing a Vulcan Mind Meld? We don't know if you can."

"There is some risk, but I think that figuring out what we can about his past will help us understand this enemy. And we do need to understand him, if only to help save this Earth from destruction." She looked at the three goddesses. "It may be our only chance."

Belldandy nodded. "You use touch telepathy, don't you?" she asked. T-Pol nodded. "Then you should be safe in this endeavor."

Malcolm chose that exact moment to enter. "Commander Tucker, I ran into some of the strangest females…" he trailed off as he laid eyes on Peorth. "Oh."  
"Kinda like them," Trip stated.

Malcolm nodded. "Kind of like them."

"We'll explain later," Urd said quickly. "The prisoner is in that room over there. Our…friends are here to help you with it."

"Friends?" Ex echoed. "Urd, friends is too strong a word where you're concerned."

"Just go, Ex."

As Ex followed Malcolm out of the Chamber, Wheeler turned back to T-Pol. "So," he began, "when do you want to do this?"

"In a few minutes.I will require that time to prepare myself." She shrugged. "I have never perfomed a mind meld on a human before," she confessed.

Wheeler nodded. "That's okay. I've never hit someone with enough force to kill them. So take all the time you need. I'm going to be over there...talking to my 'sister.'" With that, he headed in Katie's direction.

Linka watched him go, feeling somewhat concerned by the idea of someone entering Wheeler's mind. Especially since everything the young man had thought was true turned out to be false.

And she didn't want to know what the truth was.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Reed waited until the two Mako's had taken their positions on either side of the makeshift prison before opening the door, on the off chance the prisoner was awake and mobile.

Turns out, his caution wasn't necessary.

Zephyer was sitting in a chair with his hands bound behind him. He looked up, glaring at whoever it was who dared to enter. Undaunted, Reed stepped into the room, quickly followed by Ere, before shutting the door behind him.

Zephyer snorted. "So, Yggdrasil sends one of it's own to interrogate me," he said, snorting slightly. "I should warn you, not even your powers can break through my conditioning." He looked at Reed. "Who are you, human?"  
"I'm Lieutenant Reed of _Enterprise_. And I've got a few questions that I need answering." The security chief stepped forward. "For starters, how did our ship get here?"  
Zephyer's head tilted to one side, curiosity plain on his features. Out of all the questions he had been expecting, that was one he hadn't been prepared for. "You sound like you have no idea as to what your captain's purpose is, Lieutenant. Or perhaps you have no idea as to how you managed to get through a portal." His eyes narrowed. "But I don't think that is why you're here. If that was all, then you wouldn't be accompanied by a goddess. What you really want to know is why? Why am I here? Why are my people trying to destroy this world? And how is it that you came at just the right time to stop us?"

Reed and Ere exchanged glances for a second. "I'll admit that those are questions as well, though not exactly relevant to this interrogation. Answer the first question."

"Couldn't tell you. It could be a natural phenomenon, or someone else. In fact, it could even be a Stargate."  
A what?" Reed asked, confused.

Ere sighed. "I'll explain later, sir," she said. "Alright. Now, why are you so hell bent on destroying Gaia and Zarm? Your fight is with Sakar, as ours is."  
"And you help those two!" Zephyer asked in disbelief. "Spirits cannot be trusted for any reason! They lie and deceive all who are around them!"

"But that's not true here!" Ere exclaimed. "Zarm is simply following his training. And Gaia has never lied to the Planeteers."

Zephyer would have retorted, but Reed stepped forward again. "Not to halt what is probably a very stimulating conversation between all of you, but I want some answers." He glared at the prisoner. "You obviously can't answer any of the previous questions, so I'll ask a new one. How many ships are in your fleet?"  
"What?" Zephyer was surprised by the sudden shift of questioning. Obviously, humans in other realities knew where their priorities lay. "Which one? The invasion fleet, or the entirety of the Sunak Confederation? Either way, I won't tell you."  
The security chief almost took a step back in surprise. If there were an almost unstoppable force of ships… "Let's start with the invasion fleet."  
"Didn't you just hear me, _udinfe's_? I will not tell you. Torture me if you wish, but I will never betray my people."  
Reed sighed. He had expected as much, as he wouldn't give any information about Starfleet's strength to an enemy if he had been captured. He moved over to the three goddesses. "This is getting us nowhere," he muttered.  
Ere nodded. A simple plan had already begun forming in her head. "Can I try?" she asked. "Strong arming him isn't going to get us anywhere. Maybe compassion will do it."  
Reed looked at Zephyer. "Go ahead."

The second class goddess stepped forward, kneeling down so she was at face level with him. "Don't you see what your Confederation has become? That they punish all spirits for the sins of one? Yggdrasil has been trying to capture the Rogue for almost two thousand years, since the destruction of your world. And Gaia has been fighting him for a millennium since he arrived here on Earth. We're all on the same side."

Zephyer looked at her scornfully. "That is easy for you to say," he replied, bitterness lacing his tone. "Your kind has never had to fight a being who destroyed your ancestor's home planet centuries before. You don't understand that kind of commitment."

Ere sighed, thinking about Belldandy. "I know someone who does," she replied quietly.

Zephyer snorted. "Regardless, I will not help anyone who aids a spirit…not even the gods themselves." He lapsed into silence, staring at some point in the wall, ignoring everything around him.

Reed and Ere looked at each other, realizing that he wasn't going to tell them anything. Reed opened the door as Ere straightened up, walking out of the room. Reed stepped out as well, closing the door behind him. "Stay here," he ordered the guards. "Let me know if he changes his mind, and wants to talk."

The two guards nodded, standing at parade rest, weapons held loosely in their hands. Satisfied, Reed walked over to Ere. "Do you want to give them the bad news, or should I?"

Ere smiled weakly. "Be my guest." She held out her hand. "By the way, my name's Ere."  
"Malcolm Reed." The security chief shook her hand firmly. "So, what do you think?"

Ere looked at the door. "He's obviously pretty set in his ways."  
"He's a soldier," Reed replied. "He won't tell us anything because that would be aiding and abetting the enemy. And that would be the worse thing for someone like him."

"Good point. Well, shall we go meet with our commanding officers, and give them our sorely lacking reports?"  
Reed shrugged. Why not? It wasn't as if they were going to get anything out of the prisoner anyways.

* * *

T-Pol gestured to one of the seat she had set up, sitting in the one opposite it. "Have a seat, Mister Sloane." She waited until he had done so, then said, "The Vulcan Mind Meld is an intimate mental contact. Memories of mine will appear to you by accident. However, the majority of memories…actual memories, I should say, will be yours."

"Actual memories," Wheeler echoed, understanding why she said that. "In other words, you think the memories up to my ninth birthday were planted for some reason."  
The Sub-Commander nodded, impressed by his intuition. "Precisely. Miss Belldandy has informed me that my form of telepathy may be able to determine whether they are real, or an elaborate deception." She breathed in once, centering herself. "Now, you are going to have to relax. This will feel like an intrusion for a second."

Wheeler nodded, closing his eyes and steadying his breathing. He let the tension drain from him, and waited.

Linka looked at Katie. "What is it that Wheeler is looking for?" she asked quietly, so as not to disturb T-Pol.

Katie smiled. "His real past," she replied.

Slowly, T-Pol stretched her hand forward, resting her fingertips at the _katra_ points of a humanoid. She had performed the mind meld several times on fellow vulcan's, so she knew what to do. This would be the first time that a vulcan attempted it on a human.

T-Pol smirked inwardly. This would prove to be quite an experience for all concerned.

"My mind to your mind…my thought to your thoughts…"

In the space of that time, T-Pol gently pressed in the Fire Planeteer's mind, seeking out the information she wanted…

…_and suddenly found herself in an unfamiliar place._

_Startled, T-Pol looked around, taking in her surroundings. She made note of a table, several counters, and a refrigerator. 'A kitchen,' she decided. 'A nice one at that.'_

_Moving closer to the fridge, she looked at the various pieces of paper that adorned it's surface. Most of them were simply memos, reminding them of this or that. However, the last one brought a slight smile to her face._

_A picture, obviously drawn by a human child, had a prominent place, right in the center for all to see. It depicted a family of four. It was brightly colored, done in paint. Above each person was a name. T-Pol saw Katie's and Wheeler's names there, and knew she had found what she was looking for._

"_You know, if you stare at that any longer, the people in that picture will start to dance."_

_Startled, T-Pol turned around, arms coming up in a traditional defensive posture._

_The woman in question, a woman with white hair and gold eyes, held her own hands up in peace. "Whoa, Sub-Commander," she said. "You have nothing to fear from me. I'm not here to attack you." She looked around. "I'm here to see what you are seeing." She stepped forward. "My name's Alania. I'm a…friend of the Sloane's. You're Sub-Commander T-Pol of Vulcan. Science officer of the starship _Enterprise_." _

_T-Pol blinked. "How do you know all that?"_

_Alania smiled mysteriously. "It's a secret, but one I can tell you." Her smile dropped. "I am part of a civilization that monitors and protects Existence from the powers of darkness. As such, we have a verrrrrrry large library of those who play an important role in that." Her ear perked a bit. "Actually, I'll continue explaining later, and when we're face to face. It sounds like some magic's happening in this memory."  
T-Pol also turned around, hearing something as well. It sounded a lot like singing. Listening carefully, she realized that it was._

"_Happy birthday to you…happy birthday to you…happy birthday, dear Wheeler…happy birthday to you…"  
T-Pol turned around to look at the table, and saw that the family from the picture was now sitting around it. A birthday cake was sitting right in front of the little red head. "That must be Mister Sloane at age nine," she guessed._

_Alania nodded. "Good guess, Sub-Commander. This is Wheeler at age nine, almost six hours before Sakar trashed his family's lives. Let's keep watching."_

_As they watched, the elder male Sloane leaned in. He was an impressive specimen, nowhere as muscular as a Klingon, though pretty well built for a human, his hair as red as fire. His eyes spoke of eternal amusement, sparkling in the lights. "Come on, son! Make a wish!" he exclaimed._

_Wheeler grinned, closed his eyes, and blew, blowing out all of the candles. Immediately, the two adults started clapping._

_The woman, pure blond hair like Linka's framing her shoulders, looked at her son. "So, what did you wish for?"_

"_I'm not telling you!" Wheeler replied. "Then it won't come true!"_

"_Can you tell me?" the young girl asked from next to him, staring at him pleadingly. "Pleeeeaaaassee?"_

_Alania grinned. "That's Katie."_

_T-Pol's eyebrow arched as she observed the family interaction. "Indeed."_

_Wheeler thought about it for a second, then sighed. "Oh, okay. But you're not allowed to tell anyone until I say so, okay?" He leaned in, and whispered it into his sister's ear._

_Katie's eyes widened in delight. "Ooooooohhhhh!" she exclaimed, then closed her lips in a symbolic motion of silence. "I promised I wouldn't tell, so I won't."_

"_Keeping secrets, now," the father said gruffly, his eyes speaking of amusement." And here I thought I raised you better, young lady."_

"_James!" The woman exclaimed in mock surprise. "Next thing you'll do is try and bribe her." She leaned in. "Wheeler, what was that secret?"  
"Uh, uh, mom! I'm not telling you! That's why it's called a secret." Wheeler stared at her innocently, grinning._

_James grinned. "Yeah, Lily, it's a secret."  
Lily glared at him. "Now I see where Wheeler gets his personality," she groused, before looking at the clock. "Well, children, it's time to go to bed. And don't groan, you do need your sleep. Now off with you."_

_James chuckled. "You heard your mother. You have a big day tomorrow." He put a hand on Wheeler's shoulder. "Actually, you have an even bigger day. So, why don't you sleep in the 'guest' room? It's much more comfortable."_

_Wheeler nodded. "Okay, dad." He hesitated. "Can you…can you wake me up tomorrow?" he asked._

_At that, T-Pol saw James's eyes crimp up a bit. "Sure thing, son," he replied, keeping his voice gentle. I'll do that." He hugged his son impulsively. "I love you, Wheeler."_

"_I love you too, Dad." Wheeler returned the hug. "Night."_

"_Night." James watched as the two kids walked down the hallway, a small smile on his face._

_T-Pol turned to look at Alania. "How is it that we are capable of seeing this from an omnipotent point of view? A mind meld is supposed to see memories, not this."_

_Alania raised a hand. "Guilty as charged. I did that. My powers are such that I can alter a person's perception so they can view something from a different point of view."_

"_Impressive. But, why are we still here? Shouldn't we be following Wheeler?"_

"_Yeah. Just give it a few seconds. Memories tend to have a lag time to them when seen like this. In fact, it should shift right about…"_

_Instantly, the images shifted, revealing different settings. T-Pol turned around and around in surprise. "What the?"_

"_Shift in position. Give yourself a moment to adjust, and get your bearings. That way, you can observe the next set of images with your undivided attention." She looked up. "Which starts about now."_

_T-Pol looked up to see James and Lily enter the room, talking quietly to each other. Leaning in, the vulcan strained to hear what they were saying._

"_But James, why did you tell him about Sakar? Gaia would have informed him of this when he was old enough!"_

_James sat down. "I know, but I want him to be ready for this. I want him to understand why he has to leave tomorrow for Hope Island. I don't want him to be ignorant. Besides, he's nine, Lily. You know what that means."  
Lily sat down next to her. "Still, I wanted to see him and Katie grow up together. I wanted to hold my grandchildren in my arms." A tear fell down her face. "I don't want him and Katie to be separated," she whispered._

_The Sloanes embraced, James whispering soothing words to his wife for a moment. "We knew this day would come, Lily. We can be proud of our son. He'll be alright."_

_Lily smiled slightly. "I can go into the quiet night, knowing that he'll be a good person when he becomes a Planeteer. It's just-" She would have said more, but she suddenly stopped, sensing something. "Husband!"  
James shot upward, his senses going haywire. "Lily, go and get Wheeler and Katie out of here!" he shouted. "I'll hold him off!" He gave his wife a kiss, the last they would ever share, before heading in the direction of the door, a blade of fire forming as he moved._

_Lily moved in the direction of the bedroom's, her ring pointing out as well. "Wheeler! Katie!" she shouted. "Wake up, you two! We have to go!"  
T-Pol looked at Alania. "What's happening?" she asked._

_Alania sighed. "The most recent downfall of Fire and Wind, though the prophecy would survive another decade. And Sakar was always punctual when it came to killing people." She raised a hand. "Come, let's watch this from a different perspective."_

_Instantly, the two females saw the scenes before them shift back to the living room, where Sloane waited, a small fire starting to form._

_Sloane stood in front of the door, ready for anything, most specifically Sakar. He knew that it wouldn't make any difference in the long run. Still, he could still do some damage before he died._

_A blast of power broke the door off of its hinges, and Sloane moved out of the way, keeping his gaze on the door. "Sakar!"_

_Sakar grinned. "James Sloane," he said in greeting, his obsidian blade already out. "I wondered when I would see you again."_

_Sloane stood tall, a blade of flame forming in his hand. "You're too late, Death Dealer! I've prepared him for you!"  
"You waste your time! I will destroy the prophecy, even if it takes an eternity to do so. I started with your ancestor's, and I shall end it with your descendants!" Sakar charged forward, blade whistling._

_Reacting instinctively, the Fire Planeteer blocked the attack, then launched one of his own. When Sakar blocked the sword, he lashed out with a lateral kick, catching the Death Dealer in the chest. Sakar whirled around, almost catching Sloane with a sideswipe strike. He retaliated with a slice to the head. However, due to a slight miscalculation, he was a little low. Still, his blade still struck._

_Sakar stumbled back, clutching his neck for a moment as ether, the blood of the true spirit, oozed from the wound. It was by far the most damaging one he had received up to date. And it served to make him angry. "You will die for this, Planeteer!"_

"_My cut has improved your voice!" Sloane retorted. "Though why it would do that is beyond me!"_

_Sakar came forward again, striking hard and fast at the human. After all, he was the most powerful spirit in the universe. And this family line had caused him enough trouble. One way or another, he would destroy them!_

_Sloane blocked desperately, trying to buy his wife enough time to get away with the kids. He had almost a thousand years of training to fall back on. And he called upon that experience now._

_Sakar suddenly found himself fighting a far more disciplined warrior than before, instantly realizing that Sloane had called upon all of the experience from his ancestors, giving him a more decisive edge in the battle. This process had started to grate on his nerves in Sixteen Seventy One, when the two Planeteer's of that era were able to nick him on the arm. It had gotten progressively worse since that time._

_As if to add weight to that, Sloane swung viciously, trying to slice off Sakar's arm. However, when Sakar moved to block it, he shifted his attack pattern, driving his sword forward viciously. It sank deeply into Sakar's abdomen, coming out the other end._

_Sakar roared in absolute pain and rage. This was the last time he was going to be taken by surprise by this man!_

_Sloane kept his grip firm, though inside, he was trembling from exhaustion. There was no way he was going to be able to keep this up for much longer against a being like Sakar._

_As if to prove this, the Death Dealer grabbed the part of the blade that hadn't been embedded into his stomach. With a slight grunt, he began to remove it from his person. "You," he hissed, "have been an annoyance for far too long!"_

_Desperately, Sloane held on, pushing back, but it wasn't working. His strength, despite being better than even a body builder's, was still miniscule in comparison to his family's enemy. And the Death Dealer's strength was fading like Sloane's was._

_With one final pull, Sakar removed the fire blade from him, and moved it to the side, forcing it to the side. In doing so, he forced Sloane to overbalance. And then, with a mighty bellow of retaliation, he brought the handle of his own sword down upon him, bringing him to his knees. Another blow, and he was on his back._

_Sakar, grinning maniacally, picked him up. "This is the fate of your entire family, James Sloane. None of you will survive me. Now, prepare to die." He raised his sword._

_And Sloane, calling upon all of his remaining strength, brought his ring up. "Fire!" he shouted. _

_An enormous gout of fire erupted, striking Sakar dead in the chest. With bellow of pain, Sakar released the Planeteer, flying backwards into the wall. The flames licking off of Sakar hit the curtains, setting them on fire._

_Exhausted, having used the last of power, Sloane slid to the ground, with barely enough strength to prop himself onto his elbows._

_Sakar beat the last of the flames off of his cape, before he stood up again. "Nice," he said. "I never thought that possible of you." Not really caring about the fire that was starting to spread around them both, he walked up to Sloane, picking him up again. "Not that it matters too much. You are not the one to bring me down." He brought him closer. "Your wife shall die, and so shall your children. But don't worry, you'll all be reunited soon enough."_

_Sloane grunted, spitting in the spirits face. "You'll never win, and you know it. The spell will reset itself, and you'll have to do this all over again. Whether I die or not is irrelevant."  
"Oh, but it is relevant." Sakar brought his blade up. "Tonight, you and your family will sleep in Hell." He let the Fire Planeteer drop. "Death to the prophecy."  
And, with one mighty swipe, Sakar struck down the Fire Planeteer._

_T-Pol was appalled. "Does this creature have no conscience?" she demanded._

_Alania shook her head. "None. He's had several eons to remove it from his twisted soul. However, the next sequence of events showed exactly how sadistic he has become."_

_Lily stopped in the middle of an alleyway, shock written on her face. "No," she whispered._

_Wheeler and Katie turned around. "Mommy?" Katie asked._

_Lily took a deep breath. This was going to be the last, and hardest thing she would ever do for her children. Dropping to one knee, she looked into Wheeler's eyes. "Wheeler, I want you to take Katie and run now. Run as far as you can, as quickly as you can. Don't stop until you are certain you're safe."  
Wheeler was surprised. "But…what about you, mom?" he asked._

"_I'll be fine." She looked up suddenly, her sixth sense prickling. "Now go!" she shouted. "I'll hold him off!"_

_Wheeler looked torn, then nodded. "Come on, sis! We've got to get out of here!" Katie nodded, eyes full of tears._

_They hadn't even made it two feet when the wall in front of them exploded outward. And out of that hole, Sakar emerged, blade already coming down. Katie shrieked in terror._

_Lily, driven by her maternal instincts, launched herself forward. "Wind!" she bellowed, unleashing a concentrated wind blast at the Death Dealer. It knocked the sword out of his hand, also serving to knock him off balance. Then, with all of the power in her body, she slammed into him, taking him back through the wall. _

"_Mommy!" Katie screamed._

"_Wheeler, take your sister and go!" Lily shouted over her shoulder._

_Wheeler didn't need to be told twice, and he grabbed his sister's hand, and took off running, pulling Katie along with him._

_Sakar grinned. "Lilith Sloane," he said, staring into her eyes. "We meet at last."_

"_Sakar, I presume," Lily replied, glaring. "I can't say it's a pleasure to meet you at long last."_

"_I'm sorry to hear that." Sakar's hands grasped her wrists, and pried them off of him. "Sad, as in the fact that you had to continue the prophecy. And now…I will destroy you."_

"_You're welcome to try!" Lily suddenly displayed a flexibility that would suggest that she was triple jointed. She was on her feet, Sakar now being thrown into another wall by the additional force. Lily was on him in an instant, delivering punishing blows to him._

_Sakar blocked each one with one hand, then lashed out with his other hand, catching her with a solid right hook. She flew off of him, slamming into another wall. Shaking the cobwebs out of her head, she saw Sakar come in with a vicious roundhouse kick, meaning to snap her head off of her shoulder's the old fashioned way._

_Lily managed to get out of the way in time, then lashed out with one of her own. Hers was more successful, as it connected fully with his jaw, snapping his head to the side. She pressed her attack, landing blows with more force than even the deadliest martial artist's in the world._

_Sakar staggered back, trying to understand this sudden change in the whole plan. He had been so sure that they would not possess the same drive when they were apart. However, it looked like they had even more drive. And they protected their children so strenuously that it wasn't even funny. It aggravated him to no end. _

_Lily's foot lashed out, aiming for Sakar's face. Reacting furiously, Sakar grabbed the leg, then lifted her off the floor by it. He whirled in a circle for a few seconds, then threw her through the hole in the wall. He watched as she hit the edge of a garbage bin, before falling to the ground. He smiled at the sound that accompanied it, knowing that it was over._

_Lily gasped as pain shot her entire spinal column, but she shoved the pain to back of her mind. She saw Sakar approach, and tried to get to her feet. However, she quickly discovered that she couldn't. No matter what command she sent to her legs, there was no response._

_She was paralyzed from the waist down. Not a good thing._

_Looking up, she quickly brought her ring up. "Wi-"_

_Sakar grabbed her hand and directed it away from him. He took a look at it for a second, then at her, grinning maliciously. "I wonder…does this hurt for a human?" he asked casually…and twisted hard._

_Lily screamed in pain as Sakar broke her arm. A broad band of fire went up and down her arm, mixing with the pain that still throbbed in her shattered spinal cord. And the worse thing was the fact that she couldn't use her other hand to strike back._

_Sakar grinned at the supreme amount of pain that he saw reflected in her eyes, and squeezed once on the broken arm. "I guess so." He laughed. "I never knew how much fun it was to hurt humans. I must think about using it on your children."_

_Lily managed to glare through the pain. "If you're going to kill me, just kill me!" she bellowed. "Don't just talk about your plans for hurting others."_

"_Oh, but I'm not going to kill you, Lily Sloane," Sakar informed her. "You will survive this day, but you will wish you didn't. You see, I am going to imprison your mind, make you relive this night time and time again. Only at night, when you are asleep. During that time that you are awake, you will be no better than a mental vegetable, unable to do anything. And only a touch telepath will be able to save you." His laugh became more sadistic. "Unfortunately for you, there are no touch telepaths on Earth."  
Lily's eyes went as wide as saucers, then narrowed in supreme contempt. "Do your worst, chicken shit," she snarled. "My son is hidden from your sight now. And I have a feeling that he will be your downfall." She grinned at his slightly annoyed expression. "So I lose my identity with a sound heart." _

_Sakar glowered. "So be it…human." He brought his free hand up, and tapped her once on her forehead._

_And Lily screamed as all coherent thought left her._

"_And there you have it," Alania informed the vulcan. "Sakar would return to the apartment, only to find the Goddess Relief Offices already rescuing the tenants, all who had been warned about him. He decided to wait for one of them to see him, and then led the way to where Lily was laying."_

"_Belldandy," T-Pol said quietly._

_Alania nodded. "A surprising miscalculation on his part. But then again, it surprised me as well. No goddess or god serving the Almighty should have that much power. However, it served a definite purpose, as it makes Belldandy the only being in the universe who can stand against Sakar. However, it also had the unfortunate side effect of destroying the spell that was in place, effectively…freeing the Death Dealer from the bonds he was trapped in. And thus, he was able to do things he hadn't been able to do."_

"_Like attack innocent people."_

"_Yes."_

_T-Pol looked thoughtful. "How is it that we are capable of seeing this, like Wheeler had actually seen this?" she asked suddenly._

_Alania looked at her. "Isn't it obvious? In a sense, he did. These are only a few of the memories that transfer between father and son. It's a cycle that's repeated over the course of a millennium."_

"_Then why aren't we seeing anymore of this?"_

"_Because it isn't necessary for us to see it. The next sequence of events is for Wheeler, and Wheeler alone. All we can do now, is wait."_

_Wheeler and Katie ran down the alleyway, tears streaming down their faces. They had stopped only a few feet from where their mom was fighting Sakar, trying to see the being their dad had warned them about. However, Wheeler remembered what his mom had told them, so after a few moments, he had ushered his little sister away from there. _

_They had barely gone several feet before they heard their mother scream in absolute agony. Fighting back the urge to yell himself and head back, the older of the two continued forward, urging his sister on._

_After almost an hour of running, they finally stopped to catch their breath's. At this, Katie finally broke down. "Mommy," she sobbed, sitting on the ground._

_Wheeler was barely holding himself together. He knew what had happened. He also knew that they had to keep running, but there was no point to it. Someone was going to have to stand up to that creep sooner or later. "It'll be okay, sis," he said, hugging her._

"_How?" Katie looked at him. "How's it going to be okay? Our Mommy and Daddy are gone. We're all alone!"_

_On that, Wheeler had no idea. But he still whispered, "We'll be alright, and we'll stay together."  
"I'm afraid that will be impossible, young Wheeler."_

_The two Sloane's heads shot up in surprise at the new voice. It wasn't Sakar, as it sounded too gentle. It also sounded old, which added weight to that._

_An elderly man with a great white beard stood almost several feet from them. He was clothed in robes of white, with elaborate symbols on the sleeves. He was carrying a simple staff made of wood, wood that looked like it had been preserved from a bygone era. His eyes spoke of wisdom and experience, though a vitality was still visible in them. And he had the look of a person who knew exactly what they were going through._

_Wheeler got up, shielding Katie behind him. "Who are you?" he asked, keeping his chin high._

_The old man held up one hand. "I…am simply known as the White Wizard," he replied. "I am a friend of your family's. I am here to help you."_

"_Help us?" Wheeler relaxed somewhat. "How? And why can't we stay together?"  
The White Wizard smiled sadly. "Because you, Wheeler, are going to have to go away for now, with no memory of what has happened here. I will take you to a safe house, where your aunt lives."_

_Katie came out from behind her brother, whimpering. "B-but what about me, s-sir?"_

"_I will take you to the nearest police station. Someone from the apartment will find you there. You'll retain all of your memories of your life." He put his wrinkled hand on Katie's shoulder. "One day, you will see your brother again. But until that day, you will be protected by the other tenants."_

_Wheeler looked at him. "And Sakar?" he asked._

_The Wizard turned around, surprised. "It seems your father has already told you. That was Gaia's job." His expression was serious. "All I can tell you, is that Sakar will not be a threat to you or your sister for twenty years. And that when you face him, you will be ready." He held a hand up. "Don't worry, Wheeler. I am only going to suppress your memories of the last nine years, and insert new ones. They'll hold for eleven years, and then you will slowly start to remember. If you can find a being who has touch telepathy at their disposal, they can speed the process along." He looked into the young boys eyes. "Are you ready?" he asked._

_Wheeler looked at Katie. "I'm ready. Just…make sure Katie's taken care of," he said._

"_Of that, I give you my word, the word of Merlin. As well as my word that you will see each other again." He placed his hand on his head. "Now, I am going to ask you to relax," he said._

_Wheeler sighed, closing his eyes…and waited._

_That was the last thing he remembered._

_Alania perked up. "Okay, he's done. Now listen, T-Pol, and listen well. You alone have the power to free his mother from the restraints put on her mind. Also, I've made contact with the heroes of this world. They're alive and well, fighting the enemy on Lunar." _

_T-Pol nodded. "What else do we need to do?" she asked._

"_There is a Guardian on the Earth you're on. She's been in hiding since a dark wizard named Voldemort tried to kill her and her family. She'll be able to help you against Sakar." Alania saluted. "Hopefully, we'll meet in person someday."_

"_I hope we will as well," T-Pol replied, giving her the Vulcan Salute. "Peace and long life."_

_Alania grinned. "I will gratefully take the peace one, and give the long life to someone else. Farewell."_

_And T-Pol closed her eyes…_

…and opened them again, coming out of the meld rather quickly. She sat back, waiting.

She didn't have to wait long.

Slowly, Wheeler blinked, his eyes starting to track motion once again. He looked around the room, taking everything in like he had never seen it before, or was seeing it through new eyes.

Linka stepped forward. "Wheeler?" she asked.

Wheeler looked at her for a second. "I'm okay, Babeuoska. I'm just…getting all of these memories straightened out." He took a look at one of the tables. "My dad used to play cards with the Earth Planeteer of the time at that table," he said in amazement. "That guy was a scholarly kind of person, always dispensing out helpful information." He glanced at the bookshelf. "The water Planeteer was always reading a book from that shelf. Mom always had to tell her to relax. She also made the best chili anyone had ever tasted." He looked at his friends. "I have all these memories that I had suppressed accounting for the first nine years of my life, as well as the memories of all of my ancestors. The White Wizard did it to protect me, for all of the good it did me."

Katie stepped up, waiting until Wheeler had turned his attention over to her. "Do you…remember me?" she asked.

Wheeler looked at her for a moment, then gave her a bone crushing hug. "That answer your question, sis?" He whirled around. "Good God, it's good to finally remember you!"

Katie squealed in delight. "Wheeler Sloane, put me down this very minute!" She waited until he had done so, then hugged him in return. "Good to have you back, big brother," she whispered tearfully. "I've definitely missed you."  
"Good to know." Wheeler looked around again. "I can safely say this now; This place hasn't changed in eleven years."  
The statement was too much for those in the room, and they cracked up after a moment, doubling over in laughter. Even Laura was beside herself, leaning on Wendy to maintain an upright position.

Katie wiped the tears from her eyes. "Big brother, you still haven't lost your ability to make people laugh!"

Wheeler started chuckling. "Good to know some things never change," he said, before sobering up. "Get everybody in here, and I mean everyone."

Archer stared at the ocean, letting everything he had heard process through his mind. And it was a lot. Gaia had just told him about Sakar, and his coming to Earth, as well as things that he had never thought possible before. Though now that he thought about it, before he had taken command of _Enterprise, _he hadn't believed in time travel, either.

Gaia stood next to him, watching the sun as it crept through the sky. "I take it your Earth has no spirits," she said suddenly.

Archer nodded once, a little startled by the abruptness of the question. "We had to survive a nuclear holocaust after our Third World War before we could truly appreciate our environment. It also helped that we had expanded off of Earth by that time, colonizing Mars and the moon." He sighed. "We had developed generators that didn't pollute the environment, and had the ability to reclaim much of the contaminated soil afterwards."

"Not bad." Gaia suddenly looked up, like she had heard something. "They're done," she said.

"Well, let's go."

* * *

Wheeler was standing patiently by the door as everyone else congregated. He stared at Gaia for a second, observing her in a new light. "You have a great deal of luck, Gaia," he said, thoroughly surprising her. "Had I remembered, I would have said hello to you properly." He bowed his head. "I think my parents would have been happy you had helped me find my way."

Slowly, as if a great revelation had been made, a smile erupted on the spirit's face. "I don't believe it. You've been here this whole time, and I never knew."

"Blame the White Wizard. I had very little say in it." Wheeler turned to Peorth. "Goddess First Class Peorth," he said. "I think I have a meeting with Athena about the Death Dealer that can't be put off."

Peorth and Belldandy smiled. "I think it can be arranged," Peorth replied. "I'll get on the li-"

"Wait."

Everyone turned to T-Pol, somewhat confused. "Why?" Belldandy asked.

T-Pol turned to Wheeler. "We need to get your mother, before Sakar finds her and finishes her off." She noted his bewildered expression. "She's still alive, and my telepathy can help her."

Belldandy gasped. "The Jane Doe!"

"She's alive!" Katie added excitedly.

"But not for much longer, judging by the look on your face." Wheeler started walking in the direction of the door. "Come on, let's go. No more deaths by Sakar for today."  
Trip sighed. "We're goin' back to New York," he said.

Peter sighed. "Guess so."

The Geo Cruiser took off from the airstrip, angling back for New York…which was the last place they wanted to go back to at that precise moment.

Trip checked his phase pistol's energy pack one more time. "I really don't wanna go through this again."  
"It appears that we have no choice," T-Pol replied. "And the running has to stop some time."

Wheeler nodded fractionally. "It does indeed." He sat back, keeping his gaze on the window

Sakar watched the screen in front of him, showing him the Metropolitan Hospital. '_So that is where Belldandy sent Mrs. Sloane,'_ he thought triumphantly. '_So I might as well pay her a little visit.'_ He turned to Smith. "Assemble a group of Agents. It's time that e paid our respects with the soon to be departed."

Smith bowed once, grinning maliciously. "By your command, Mi'lord."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Gaia activated the Planet Vision, focusing on the hospital where the vegetable state-induced Wind Planeteer was currently residing. "That's where Lily is?" she asked in surprise, daring to hope.

Ere nodded, her gaze thoughtful. "Belldandy had filed it in for future reference, just on the off chance someone else in Heaven decided to check on her." She sighed. "She had already memorized the location herself."

"Why?"

"Because of the fact that she made an oath to stop Sakar. She goes back every year to see if there was any change in her condition, and to basically reaffirm that vow." The goddess observed the image for a second. "When Belldandy first met Sakar, she was still a rookie in field duty, having spent her time granting wishes to people so they could realize their dreams. This was her first command assignment, as well as her first mission earth bound. She didn't really know what to expect. None of us had any idea that she was going to run into the Planeteer of Wind, though."

Gaia observed the hospital. "What happened? I know Belldandy had had a run in with Sakar, but I don't know why she was selected to lead a mission with such a monster on the loose."

"Because," Ere replied, "it was a relief mission, as well as Belldandy's first trial to become a first class goddess. If she had brought Sakar in, she would have been able to become anything she wanted. She could even be sitting on the Supreme Council now. However, as you witnessed, she became a goddess first class for a different reason."  
"Merit…and power."

"More merit than power. Belldandy never really had any ambition. All the work that she did, she did it because of the fact she cared. She cared so deeply in fact, that she never requested a transfer out of the Relief offices, though she never began running one either. She was content with helping people realize their dreams."

Gaia frowned. That clashed with everything she had seen of Belldandy so far. She seemed more warrior now than anything, especially with everything that had happened. And that didn't really sit well with her.

As if reading her mind, Ere said, "She took Templer training after she had gotten back to Yggdrasil. She said she never wanted to be caught off guard ever again. She wanted to be on equal terms with Sakar when she faced him again." She sighed. "It paid off," she added unnecessarily.

"Now that, I can understand." The spirit turned around, slowly walking to a chair. "What I don't understand," she said, "even after all of these years, is why Sakar wants to destroy everything he sees."

The goddess turned to stare at the screen. "No one knows the answer to that question. And I don't think anyone will."

* * *

Wheeler watched the hospital from the across the street, trying to determine if there were any agents approaching it. Due to his father's and mother's combined memories, as well as his own recent experiences, he knew what to look for now. Among the alien ones, there was silver body armor and visors, meaning that they had entered Sakar's services before he had come to Earth, or during the first few centuries he was on Earth. Among the human agents, and Smith himself, there were dark business suits and sunglasses, complete with hair that looked like it had shellacked, which allowed them to not blend in at all. All in all, a group of people who stood out in any kind of crowd.

"_Wheeler, I have four Agents approaching the hospital from Southeast," Ma-Ti sent from the Geo Cruiser, which had been parked behind a big rig to hide it from sight. Gi and Wendy had also stayed in the vehicle, keeping the engines primed._

Wheeler nodded. "_Thanks, Ma-Ti."_ He looked at Reed. "Well, Malcolm, I hope you have an expert aim, and an itchy trigger finger, because we're probably going to need both."  
"I don't, but I know a few soldiers who do." He brought his communicator out. "Major, are you in position?"

"_Yes, sir. Standing by."_

"Prepare to fire."

Wheeler watched, his ring hand clenching. "Four agents…that's too few."

"They probably do not know that we are coming," Linka suggested.

"I was thinking more on the lines of Sakar being here as well," Wheeler replied. "He's not one to let his lackeys kill a Planeteer. More likely, he'll probably be coming in via another door."

"The roof?"

"Possibly. Cap?"

"_I'll keep my eyes peeled."_

"Thanks."

Kwame looked at the four agents. "They are stopping. Why is that?"

"Because they're waiting," Archer replied. "Quite possibly for Smith."

"Or Sakar," Linka added.

"Or both," Wheeler said.

As if on cue, Smith walked up to them, speaking quietly for a second. Giving them their marching orders, no doubt. The four agents nodded, then entered with him.

Wheeler cursed. "They're going to search each hospital room until they find her. Belldandy, Room 346, right?"

Belldandy nodded. "We had best hurry. Agents are notorious for being fast in their searches."

Wheeler nodded. "Let's go, then." He stood up fully.

* * *

Karen looked up as five suited people walked into the building, asking a attendant if any Jane Doe's had been admitted over the last eleven years, and went for the stairwell. She gazed at her computer for a second, contemplative. So, it was time. The time had come for Lily to be moved out of the hospital. All she had to do was wait for Belldandy to show up.

As if on cue, the goddess entered the hospital with several others in tow. Karen noted that some of them were from the starship. However, the two she was interested in were among them as well.

Belldandy smiled. "Hello, Karen, I-"

"Go," Karen interrupted abruptly, remembering that there was little time before Sakar made an appearance. He always made an appearance. "The Agents will take about fifteen minutes to search all of the floors. Get her, and leave through the roof." She smirked a bit at the goddess's dumbstruck expression. "I'll explain later. Just go."

Wheeler nodded, understanding, then gestured over to the elevator. "We have fifteen minutes, and one lady to save." He walked in that direction, the others in tow.

Karen smiled as she watched the small group disappear into the elevator, knowing that they would get there. Then she got up, stretching as she did so, and went to the stairwell. It was slower, but she could catch Sakar by surprise.

----

Wheeler hopped impatiently from one foot to the other, waiting for the elevator to stop at long last. He had never been one to wait for things to happen to him.

Linka put a comforting hand on his shoulder, understanding the reason for his fidgeting. "Do not worry, Wheeler," she whispered. "We will get her out. Sakar will not have this victory."

Trip's phase pistol was out, pointing at the door. "I just hope that we can do this without any difficulty. Though knowing humanity's track record, that's not gunna happen."

Reed looked at him. "Really, Commander?" he asked sarcastically.

"Let's just get her out," Kwame interjected. "I do not want to stay here any longer than necessary."

"Hear, hear," Urd asserted, shuddering slightly.

The elevator doors opened on the desired floor, and the small crowd disembarked. Moving down the hallway quickly, Wheeler and Reed kept their gazes right in front of them. Trip and Kwame watched their rear. "Are we almost there?" Kwame asked.

"Room 340...Room 342...Room 344...Room 346!" Ma-Ti pushed the door open, looking into the room. "Wheeler, is this…?" he asked hesitantly.

Wheeler looked into the room as well, his gaze softening. "Yeah, that's her," he replied sadly. "Linka, could you stand guard while I get my mother?"

Linka nodded, and took a guard position next to the door. Urd took the other spot. Satisfied, Wheeler, Kwame, Ma-Ti, Reed, and Trip entered the room.

And Wheeler laid eyes on her mother for the first time in eleven years.

Bringing himself down to one knee, he gently laid a hand on his mother's arm. "Mom…?" he whispered. "I know you can't hear me, but I'm here to take you home." He picked her up from her chair, cradling her like she was a baby. He turned around. "Let's go."

They had just stepped out of the room, and started walking in the direction of the door to the roof, when the stairwell door opened, burping out the five agents, all of them looking down the hallway.

One look at the scene in front of them told them everything they needed to know. "Get them!" Smith roared, bringing out a weapon that the majority of them had never seen before.

Urd recognized it, though. "Goa'uld Zatatar!" she shouted, bringing up her staff and firing, forcing the enemy to find cover in doorways throughout the hall.

Reed and Trip added their pistols to the barrage, keeping them at bay. "Go!" Reed bellowed. "We'll hold them off!"

Quickly, the Planeteers sprinted in the direction of the stairwell while Urd and the two officers gave cover fire. They were hoping to make it to the roof before anything else happened.

They wouldn't be able to accomplish that, which would be a good idea as to how humanity's luck was these days. As Sakar was now making his way down the hall, his eyes blazing.

Wheeler transferred Lily to Kwame. "Stay here," he said. He stepped forward, his eyes narrowed. "Death Dealer."

Sakar immediately realized that Fire was comporting himself differently, and also that he remembered how he was called in the past. He bowed. "Welcome back, warrior of Fire," he said. "Are you here for vengeance?"  
"Not today. But you will not touch my mother ever again." The Fire Planeteer assumed a battle position.

"Really? And you propose to stop me how?"  
"Any way I can. So if you want to kill me, feel free to try."

"With pleasure!" Sakar prepared to lunge forward…only to stop in surprise as someone imposed herself between him and his quarry, effectively blocking his way. "Who are you, human?" he asked. "And how did you get here?"

Karen stood between the two powers, her eyes showing an intensity in them that hadn't been there before, apparently unconcerned by the fact that she was staring down the most powerful being in their universe. "I'm here to make sure that you don't have your victory," she replied calmly.

Belldandy immediately noticed that Karen's voice had changed, becoming slightly lower in tone, and now was an English accent. '_What in the world?'_

Sakar was also surprised. "Young lady, in case you haven't noticed, I am much more powerful than you."

"Oh, I'm more powerful than you think." The young lady brought her hand up, pointing it at Sakar. Clutched in it was a small stick, which surprisingly looked like a wand. "_Stupefy!"_

Sakar was hurtled back several feet by the sheer force of the spell, for spell it was. A spell that was from another realm. A spell that, under normal circumstances, would have never worked on Sakar.

However, these were obviously not normal circumstances. And Karen was obviously not an ordinary person.

All movement stopped almost immediately, as everyone turned to stare at the lady in absolute surprise.

Sakar sat up, looking at her for a moment in confusion, then in rage. He now knew who it was. It was someone who was supposed to be dead. "_Potter!"_ he snarled.

'Karen' bowed. "You guessed it, Death Dealer." She closed her emerald eyes, and concentrated.

And before the amazed eyes of those present, Karen Jackson began to change.

Her blond hair became fiery red, as well as longer, and her face became slightly younger in appearance. Her nurse clothes vanished, becoming battle armor that fit her comfortably, a cape now draped across her shoulders to complement the ensemble. A pendant was around her neck, a crest of some kind in the center of it. Her eyes, though remained the same emerald color they had always been.

The spirit of destruction stood up fully, glaring at the newly changed person in front of him. "Lily Potter, Guardian of Magic," he said in greeting. "I thought you were dead."

Potter smiled. "Obviously, I'm more difficult to kill than you thought. Sad, isn't it…at least, for you?"

"Well, I'll do what Voldemort could not do…send you into the abyss!" With that, Sakar launched himself forward, hands outstretched, his blade out.

A staff of white appeared quickly in Potter's hands, and she brought it up quickly, blocking the attack that came. She whirled just as quickly, catching him dead in the face. He flew out one of the windows, not even slowing down when he slammed into another building.

Potter turned around, her staff returning to the ether as she started walking in the direction of the Agents, seemingly unconcerned of the fact that they were all armed with weapons.

One of the Agents brought his Zat up, squeezing out a shot at her. It was accurate too, hitting her directly in the chest. She didn't stop, not even blinking from the light that played over her eyes, though her mouth twitched a bit in amusement. She reached that agent, catching him with a roundhouse kick. The agent slammed into another one, hitting the far wall at the end of the hallway. She came forward again, backhanding Smith through one of the doors. Then she lashed out with her foot, catching the last two in the chest.

Everyone stared in amazement as this one woman managed to do what they had thought was impossible. She had treated Sakar and five Agents like they were not even worth her time. And she wasn't even breathing hard!

Potter turned to look at them. "Are you people just going to stand there, or are you going to get Sloane out of here?" she asked. "Sakar's going to come back, and he's not going to be too happy."  
"Is he ever?" Belldandy asked rhetorically, eyes narrowed.

Wheeler however, sent to Ma-Ti, "_Have Gi bring the Geo Cruiser up to the roof of the hospital! We'll meet her there!" _

"_Understood, Wheeler."_

Wheeler turned around. "Let's move out!" he bellowed. "The Agents aren't going to stay down forever!"

"You heard the man!" Linka started running. "Move!"

Sakar exploded back into the hospital, seething. Guardian scum, interfering in his business yet again! He was going to send a message to Alania, this time in the form of one of her soldiers in a body bag!

Smith had by this time righted himself, and was glaring up the stairwell. "I'm going to enjoy tearing them to pieces, Milord," he said bitingly.

Sakar nodded. "I'll meet you up there, Smith!" With that, he jumped upward, slamming into the ceiling, and going through. He flew upward, punching his way through every floor in a similar fashion.

Smith roused the other agents, then ran for the stairwell, knowing that it was the only way up to the roof. He also knew that most sentient life forms were capable of going only a certain speed, especially if they were carrying a body.

Exiting the hall, he looked down, somewhat confused that they weren't heading down. Then he looked up, seeing them heading up. In an instant, he realized where they were going for the roof. "Take out as many as you can!" he bellowed, bringing his weapon up. "Fire and Wind belong to Lord Sakar!"

Reed moved a little as the energy of the weapon's discharge struck the rail, turning it into soup. Quickly looking over the edge, he fired his pistol, forcing Smith back. "They're back up!" he warned the others.

"So we have noticed!" Kwame started moving faster, passing Trip as the commander made his way to the rear. "May we get out of here."

Trip soon began firing as well, driving the other agents back while he and Reed continued upward, following the others up the stairwell. He honestly didn't have a clue as to who the new girl was, but she seemed to be on their side. And she definitely knew what she was doing.

Potter suddenly turned to the right, her staff out again. She pointed it to the upper left, then letting a powerful blast of energy suddenly erupt from the tip, going through the wall.

Sakar's upward journey was halted abruptly as he was hit in the side by that attack. Now going starboard, he went through the wall, entering a storage room. His entrance knocked ammonia jugs over, spilling their contents all over the floor. Undeterred, Sakar got back up, glaring at the wall. "You haven't lost your edge, Potter," he said, "but I'm sharper still!" He simply jumped again, going upward, this time through an occupied room. He smirked slightly at the shrieks of terror that issued out of the patients and doctors that were in it as he continued on his way.

Potter opened the door, getting out of the way as the others flew out onto the roof, Trip and Reed right behind them. "Where's your transportation?" she asked.

Wheeler looked around. "They should have been here by now. _Ma-Ti?" _

"_Look to the side," _Ma-Ti thought to him.

Wheeler did so. Upon seeing the Geo Cruiser hovering at the edge of the roof, Wendy holding the door open. "Smart ass," he muttered aloud. "Alright, all of you, get to the cruiser." He pointed at the two officers. "That includes you two." He turned to Kwame. "Be gentle with her," he added.

"Do not worry, Wheeler." Kwame adjusted his load a bit. "Just make sure that you survive to see her awake again." He started in the direction of the Cruiser.

"Wheeler!"  
Wheeler's head snapped in the direction of Linka's voice, saw Smith and the other four Agents appear on the roof. Instantly, he brought his ring hand up, and not even shouting out his attack, let his power erupt. Linka brought her ring up as well, releasing several wind bombs.

All five Agents suddenly evaded, moving their upper bodies in ways that were almost…computer in nature. And they moved so fast that it seemed like they didn't move at all. And it was effective, as none of the blasts managed to touch them.

The two Planeteers stared in shock at this little development, as neither had ever seen an Agent up close and personal before do that. But, they realized, they should have known that they could do that.

Smith righted himself, straightening his suit jacket before putting his weapon away. "Attack!" he shouted, charging forward.

Immediately, the two Planeteers switched tactics, going into defensive positions. They waited until the first two approached, then lashed out with simple punches. Simple, but effective in this instance.

The two agents flew backward, skidding across the roof until they reached the edge, then fell over that edge, heading for the ground.

Wheeler and Linka, not even paying attention to their handiwork, began blocking the remaining Agent's retaliatory strike, staying at least one step ahead of their adversaries. They were definitely having a much easier time than when they were fighting Smith himself. Then again, they were subordinate agents, and thus were nowhere near as strong as the primary.

However, the primary was approaching rather fast, his fist already coming up. Potter intercepted him, blocking the attack and slamming her own hand into his chest. He flew backwards, almost going overboard. The humiliation of it all!

Sakar suddenly made his presence known by erupting through the roof, catching Potter directly in the face. The Guardian hurtled backwards, flying off the roof. However, she managed to right herself in midair, hovering for a second before going back the direction she had come from.

Wheeler and Linka reacted first, their powers lashing out at the spirit of destruction with more force than every weapon in the world. And their aim was accurate, punishing Sakar with more power than he had ever faced before in his life.

With a barely concealed air of disbelief and desperation, Sakar created a shield around himself, thoroughly shocked. Those two possessed more power than the entirety of Sloane family line put together. And that was considerable to begin with. It also marked the first time that he had ever had to create a force field against a member of the Sloane family.

Smith ran forward, his Zat weapon already pointing at the two Planeteers. He was going to kill them, right here and now.

Kwame handed Sloane's body to Wendy and Gi, then turned around. "I am going to go and help them!" he shouted, ready to head back.

"You stay right there, Kwame!" Potter ordered. "I'll take care of this!" She brought her staff back into the fray. "_Magic Energy Strike!"_ she intoned.

Smith was forced to change his plans from killing Wheeler and Linka to evading the finishing strike from Potter. With his gaze off of the them, he didn't see Urd's attack approaching, catching him in his blind spot. He flew back through the roof door, falling down the stairwell…without touching the stairs. An added bonus for all concerned.

Wheeler and Linka stopped their attack, turning around in the direction of the Cruiser. "Let's go!" he shouted. "Everybody who isn't an Agent, vacate the premises immediately!" He boarded, pulling Linka in after him.

Potter fired one final attack down at Sakar, keeping him down on his back before she wheeled around, joining the two goddesses as they flew from the building.

Sakar finally got to his feet, staring at the retreating forms of his enemies, his blade still clutched in his hand. He was bewildered for the first time in eons. How did this happen?

Turning around, he saw the last two agents get back up. "Get Smith back up, then start taking over everyone in this building. And I mean everyone!"

Before his eyes, the future reset itself.

* * *

Phlox and Planet waited patiently as the Geo Cruiser landed on Hope Island for the second time that day, burping out the Planeteers, Wendy, Trip, and Reed. Belldandy and Urd landed, along with someone they had never seen before.

Kwame came up to them, holding Lily Sloane in his arms. "Here she is," he said, handing her over to Planet. "She's relatively unharmed."

Phlox nodded. "I'll want to run a series of tests on her cerebral cortex to see her mental stability, but I see no reason that T-Pol shouldn't attempt the mind meld as soon as possible."

Ma-Ti stepped up. "I will help. Sakar might have planted some kind of mental booby trap in her mind. If she goes into the wrong neuron…"

The new woman nodded. "Good idea. Who knows what else he did to her." She turned her attention back to Belldandy. "You've got a few questions you want answered," she said. "I can answer them. I also want to talk to those two as well." She pointed at Wheeler and Linka. "It's about who they really are."

Wheeler and Linka looked at each other, then at her. "I already know what we are," Wheeler replied. "My father told me that one of our family line would become the Guardian of Fire in the future."  
"Guardian?" Linka echoed, then winced a bit as _something _shot through her. "And who are you?"

Potter bowed. "I am Lily Potter, one of the two Guardians of Magic. And I am at your service." She smiled. "I've been waiting for you two for almost eleven years."

"Of that, I have no doubt." Wheeler looked over to the huts, where he saw the refugees milling about, and where Planet was now carrying his mother to. "I'll leave you two alone. I'm going to go talk to T-Pol about the mind meld procedure." He looked at Linka. "Are you going to be okay?" he asked gently.

Linka nodded, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Go check on your mother. I will be fine." '_I hope,'_ she added mentally to herself.

Potter smiled. "Come. I have a lot to tell you…and show you."

* * *

Phlox nodded once, putting his medical scanner away. "Her mind is relatively stable, and its strong. You should have no difficulties melding with her."

"That's what scares me, illogical as it sounds." T-Pol looked at Ma-Ti. "What about you?"  
Ma-Ti's ring stopped glowing, and he opened his eyes. "I have sensed nothing that could hinder your process," he said. "I do not believe that Sakar was expecting this."

"Good for us. Not for him." T-Pol situated herself near Sloane's bed, bringing her hands up to situate themselves at her _katra _points. Her recent experience with Sloane's son had helped her.

Katie stood at the doorway, looking anxiously at her comatose-like mother. "How long will this take?" she asked.

Phlox got up, walking over to her. "It will depend on how much mental damage that Sakar was able to do to her," he replied. "It may take a few minutes, or a few hours, as it does take a great deal of energy on T-Pol's part to maintain the meld."

Wheeler walked up, putting a hand on his sister's shoulder. "Let's let T-Pol do this. She'll need complete concentration for this to work." He steered her away. "Let's sit here."

Katie sat down, with Wheeler following suit. Slowly, over the next few minutes, the others appeared, except for Linka and Potter, both of who were probably still talking. Wheeler had the funny suspicion that they had a great deal to talk about.

* * *

Linka gasped in pain as she felt her power flux inside her, dropping to her knees. She panted for a second when it subsided, unable to believe it. Then a second pulse went through her. This time though, there was no pain, only a sense of discomfort. She decided that her body was becoming accustomed to the sudden power that she was feeling.

Potter, on the other hand, stared at her, watching her adjust. "That sensation you are feeling, is the Quickening," she explained, as if she had gone through the same exact thing. "It's what a Guardian feels when they are in the presence of an equally powerful being."  
Linka got to one knee, staring at the Guardian of Magic. "What are you?" she asked. "What am _I_!"

Potter grinned. "We're the same, Linka!" She spread her arms out. "We are kin!" she stated dramatically, waiting for the young ladie's reaction.

"Kin?" Linka echoed, perplexed.

"Well, not related by blood, but as Guardians! Warriors of freedom and justice! Protectors of the realms of Existence!"

"Oh."

Potter laughed. "Oh, come on, Linka! I would already be making snide remarks, calling my husband off of his rocker or worse! And all you say is 'oh?'"

"Well, I have recently escaped from a powerful spirit who is hell bent on destroying me and Wheeler, and have learned that everything of Wheeler's first nine years of life was nothing more than a lie. Learning that you are an all powerful being is relatively normal."

"Hmmm. Good point." Potter became somber. "However, you only have two weeks to become prepared for this battle. Most Guardians have as long as seven years to become ready. But as Sakar is now free to cause untold destruction, I have that long to get you ready. As Wheeler already has the majority of that training in his mind, I only have to worry about you."

Linka nodded. "Alright then, when do we begin?"

Potter nodded once. "As soon as Mrs. Sloane regains consciousness."

* * *

Karken frowned at the screen. "They have fought the Death Dealer and his _werlcas?_" he asked.

"And managed to escape," Sheeyal replied. "The Fire Planeteer also exhibited supernatural abilities the likes of which I have never seen before." She looked up. "I'm wondering if we're…not giving the spirit of Earth enough credit. She has never tried to lie to her charges about anything. And Zarm has never taken a life with his own two hands."

Karken's frown deepened. Sheeyal was right, of course. Gaia _had_ never lied to her charges. And Zarm, despite the fact that he was her counterpart, had never killed anyone either. It was a definite departure from what they had learned about Sakar. And the fact that their soldier gave them an account of an altercation between the Death Dealer and two of the Planeteers, which had resulted in the two in question gaining strength and powers far more potent than humans had a right to, was understandably confusing.

And Gaia, who should have been manipulating the situation to her advantage, was pacing up and down in a room by herself, waiting for news on the one who the Death Dealer had sentenced to destruction, like she was waiting for news that her long lost friend was going to survive a particularly touchy surgery.

Sheeyal turned to the screen again, her slits pulsing slightly in sync with her confusion. "What's wrong with this picture?" she asked.

"Aside from the fact that Gaia is not acting as we thought she would?" another voice replied unexpectedly. Startled, Karken and Sheeyal turned around to see the Praetor right behind then, staring at the screen as well. "And the fact that the Planeteers survived the Death Dealer?"  
Karken deflated slightly, his hand leaving his dagger leg. "Sir, you really need to let people know that you're here. Otherwise, someone will stab first, ask question later."  
"My apologies. What'd you got?"

"A whole lot of contradictions."

Sheeyal sat up fully. "I'm starting to wonder if invading the Earth to take the spirit of Earth out is a good idea. She isn't acting like we were told that she would."

"Quite the opposite, in fact," Karken replied. "Also, two of the Planeteers survived two encounters with the Death Dealer."

"Are you kidding?" Shar-Ti stared at the image of Gaia pacing. "Well, this certainly shakes my whole belief system. What do you suggest?"  
"For starters, you can get your eye off of my ship." The _Crusher_ commander shared a good chuckle with his leader, as both knew that the eye didn't do much of anything unless there was a problem, and thus was harmless. "Second, I believe we should talk to the General about postponing the invasion."

Sheeyal sighed. "You know what he'll say; 'The invasion will commence. Sakar must be stopped.' It's the same thing he says every time we take out a Sakar controlled world."

"Don't we know it?" Shar-Ti grumbled. "And regardless of the information we give him, unless the Council decides to agree with me, there is nothing we can do." His frown became thoughtful. "And I'm starting to think that obtaining that ring is a bad idea."

"I think the Heart Planeteer would appreciate it. Let's give them the benefit of the doubt."

"Agreed, Commander. In the meantime, I would like your XO to return to your ship, and prepare for the attack."

Sheeyal bowed her head. "As you command." She got up, and landed a small kiss on Karken's slightly gravelly cheek before heading out of the room.

Shar-Ti watched as she left, a small smile on his face. "You know, I envy you sometimes, Commander," he said. "I wish I could have one woman who I could cherish above all else."

Karken smiled. "She is definitely the greatest thing to happen to me since being given command of the _Crusher._" His smile faded. "Unfortunately, being the commander of the Confederation's flagship also makes it impossible to have some time to myself."  
"Well, cherish these moments, as they might be the last ones you may ever have." Shar-Ti got up. "I'll leave you to your work, Commander. Report to me at 0900 tomorrow for your briefing on the other ships that will be part of the fleet."

Karken bowed. "As you wish, sir."

* * *

Sailor Neptune panted, hands on her knees, while she watched the remains of the creature she had recently faced return to the young man that he was truly, though unconscious. He would wake with no memory of what had transpired in those eight minutes.

She was grateful that she was able to help people with her powers, though doing it alone was a burden sometimes. She wished she could find her partner, but the number of attacks had been increasing over the last few weeks, severely cutting into her spare time.

She winced as her arm throbbed a bit, reminding her of the fact that her arm had almost been broken by this monster. A stout reminder of the fact that while she may be strong and tough, she was not invincible. Once more, she thought about asking the Sailor Scouts for help. Except for the fact that she didn't know who they were in their public life. And they had their own problems. Where all she had to do was protect the city from monsters that were always appearing, they had the whole world to look after.

As she thought this, she realized that she was right in front of the Cherry Hill Temple. She had heard rumors of a psychic living there who could find anyone. '_Maybe he can tell me where to find the Scouts,'_ she thought. Pleased with her idea, she went to find some place to de-transform.

Several seconds later, Michelle Kaioh started walking up the stairs to the temple, composed and ready for anything.

Except for what she saw.

"Closed!" she whispered in disbelief, staring at the sign. "But this temple is never closed in the middle of the day." She peered over the grounds, trying to see something there, something that could tell her what was going on. But in the end, she saw nothing…except a lawn that needed to be trimmed.

Looking around, she shrugged, thinking that they were probably on vacation, then turned around and headed back down the stairs…not seeing a pair of eyes watching from the shadows, observing her shrewdly.

Merlin watched the young Senshi until she had walked out of sight, his gaze understanding. With her comrades gone, or not even awakened yet, she was fighting a war against unspeakable odds alone. And those odds were going to become even more unspeakable. Sakar would make sure of that.

Grabbing his staff from it's leaning position, he immediately vanished, teleporting to his next destination. Hopefully, he could warn Morisato and the young goddess Skuld of the coming danger.

Before the Death Dealer came for them.

* * *

Throughout the night, nobody slept.

In one room, Wendy and Peter kept the rest of the Darling family company. Almost three hours later, Belldandy and Urd came to join them in their waiting.

Ma-Ti and Laura had retreated to Ma-Ti's room with Suchi, though Suchi had left that room after a couple of minutes, curling up into Gaia's lap.

Kwame and Gi had gone for a walk, so as to keep their minds clear. They had spent a great deal of time in each other's company over the last few days, though no one noticed this. Too much was going on.

Planet had returned to their rings to recharge, having been out since noon. Trip and Archer went to speak to Reed about something, while the Peorth checked in with Yggdrasil.

Ere watched Zephyer as he went into a meditative state, wondering what type of hatred could make them so ambivalent towards spirits, and wondered what could be done to show that not all spirits are like Sakar.

Wheeler, Katie, Linka, and Potter all sat in the Crystal Chamber, waiting for some word as to the mental well being of the woman in the room, where T-Pol, Phlox, and Chono were. Katie was fidgeting. Wheeler was barely staying still. Linka was barely able to contain herself from pacing around in a circle. And Potter sat perfectly still, though her concern was emanating from her in waves.

They were all on the verge of falling asleep when Phlox walked out of the room with Chrono, both of them exhausted, though not as much as T-Pol, who practically staggered out, barely able to walk.

Wheeler got up. "Well?" he asked, while the other four got up.

Phlox looked at him. "It's too early to be certain, but I think that it was an unqualified success. We'll know for sure in the morning."

Potter listened for a second. "Actually, I can tell you that it was an unqualified success," she said.

T-Pol looked at her. "And what is that?" she mumbled, eyes drooping.

Potter smiled, knowing that Sloane was at peace for the first in years. "There's no screaming."

* * *

Michelle walked down Tokyo's main street, watching the rest of the world as it went along it's merry pace, unaware of the evil in their midst. She saw a young couple holding hands, talking about some movie that they were going to see. She saw an elderly woman talking to someone who she guessed was her grandson. '_They don't have any idea how easy they have it. They don't have the weight of the world on their shoulders. They don't have to worry about whether or not they'll still be alive the next day.'_ The fact of the matter was the that she was very much alone in this, added to her problems.

As she walked by an electronics store, a small crowd caught her attention, and she stopped in her tracks, wondering what was going on. '_Not another crisis,'_ she thought. "What's going on?" she asked aloud.

"Shhh." One of the viewers, a girl with red hair and a bow, looked at her. "Something's happened in New York."

"What?" Michelle looked at the screen too, hoping that the monsters weren't appearing halfway around the world.

What she saw was more disturbing. "When did this happen?" she asked.

"About several hours ago. They don't know anything else beyond that…except for the fact that that American Planeteer did something I thought only a Sailor Scout could do."

Michelle turned to look back at the screen, watching the scenes that were being shown on it. The drone of the news reporter faded in the background, the pictures telling the story all by itself. And what a story it was!

Upon watching the American Planeteer burst out from underneath a ton of rubble, a gout of fire accompanying him, the Water Senshi came up with a crazy idea. '_I need to find a way to contact them. But how…?'_

A kid with the weirdest set of glasses that she had ever seen suddenly piped up with, "Hey, I've seen that girl before! She goes to Nekomi Tech University!"  
"What!" Michelle took another look at the screen, which showed a beautiful young woman firing energy blasts behind her, holding off some kind of person in a business suit. However, she recognized her by the three distinguishing marks on her face. "Her name is…Belldandy, if I'm not mistaken."

The girl turned around. "You're good. I thought Melvin was the only one who knew these things."

"I've met Keiichi and Belldandy before at one of…my 'cousin's' motorcycle races," Michelle explained. She would have said more, but another face caught her eye, and she gasped. '_It can't be!_

'_Wheeler…'_


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

Sudden brightness stabbed at her vision, bringing her out of a restful sleep.

Groaning, Lily Sloane raised her hand to block the light that was shining through her eyelids, then noted something rather momentous.

She had groaned. She was trying to block the sunlight from blinding her. That led to another momentous realization.

She was thinking once again. Her eyes opened wide, and she sat up, propping herself onto her arms. Shaking her head to clear it, she took a look around her surroundings. For the first time, she noticed that she wasn't in either the alleyway, or in that hospital bed, where she had regained consciousness briefly.

Instead, she was in a room of some kind. A bedroom, from the looks of it. There was a warm, friendly feel to it, with the walls covered with posters. The floor, she noticed, was littered with clothes and other items, like pens, paper, and books. No trash, though. She allowed a small smile to emerge on her face, having a funny feeling that she knew whose room this was.

As she pondered the ramifications of where she was, the door creaked open. Turning her gaze to the door, she saw a young girl look in. "Well, hello there," she said, smiling. "I was checking to see if you were awake."

Lily smiled slightly, enjoying the sensation of being able to do that. "Well, as you can see, I'm awake, and coherent." She gestured. "Come in. I'm Lily Sloane."

"I'm Wendy." Wendy turned around. "Doctor Phlox, she's awake," she called out, walking into the room. "Those Planeteer people were very worried about you."  
"I can imagine."  
Another person, one who looked like he had two snakes under his skin, walked in, wielding some sort of device. She decided that the device was some of medical device. He also had that smile Lily associated with doctors plastered on his face, though it seemed a little more…cheerful. He seemed the kind of person who was cheerful all the time. "Morning, doctor," she said in greeting. "So, tell it to me straight. Am I going to live?"

Phlox's smile grew at the humor in her tone. "Well, if by living you mean having the ability to move under your own power, then yes, you're going to live." He turned to Wendy. "Could you please inform Gaia that the patient has woken up?"

"Certainly." Wendy curtsied. "It has been a pleasure meeting you, Mrs. Sloane." With that, she ran out of the room.

Lily smiled at the doctor. "The girl reminds me of my daughter," she said wistfully, "when she was about six."

"If your daughter is Katie, then you'll find she hasn't changed that much, then," Phlox replied. "She presently waiting outside, waiting for you to wake up from your slumber."  
Lily slowly pushed herself up fully. "Can I leave this bed, or am I going to have to remain in it for all eternity?"

"I see no problem with you leaving. How your muscles managed to stave off even the slightest bit of atrophy, I will never begin to understand."

"I subscribe to 'bounce' school of mind exercise, as well as physical therapy done by the nurses." Lily got up slowly, stretching her muscles out as she did so. "Boy, this feels good," she moaned.

Phlox nodded. "I can understand why. Now, seeing as how you feel capable of getting out of bed, there are a few people who would like to meet you, besides the Planeteers."  
Curious now, Lily followed Phlox out.

* * *

Wendy walked into the Crystal Chamber, smiling. There, Gaia, Clash, Peorth and Archer were having a discussion about various things, chief among them about what to do with the refugees from the apartments. All conversation halted when Wendy entered. "She's awake," she informed them cheerfully.

The four of them turned around as Phlox and the newly freed Wind Planeteer walked in a few minutes later, the latter taking in her surroundings in surprise. It was obviously, the last place she expected to find herself again.

Gaia started smiling. "See anything familiar?" she asked.

Sloane's attention turned to the Spirit of the Earth. "Gaia? Peorth?" She looked around again. "Are we on Hope Island?"  
Gaia started chuckling. "Do you know any other islands with spirits on them?"

"Give me a second." Lily smiled. "Boy, am I glad to see you two."

"Same here. How are you feeling?" Peorth asked.  
"A lot better, thank you. And glad that I can actually say that." She looked at the other three in the room. "And, you two are?" she inquired.

Archer got up, extending his hand. "I'm Captain Jonathan Archer. I'm the commanding officer of _Enterprise."_

"And I'm Clash. It's an honor to meet you." Clash also shook her hand. "After we got you out of the hospital, Gaia decided to tell us what you did during your time as a Planeteer." He grinned. "Pretty impressive, considering you didn't have Captain Planet."  
Lily turned to Gaia, confused. "Who in the name of hell is Captain Planet?" she demanded. "Have you lost your marbles naming someone that?"  
Gaia held up a hand. "I'll tell you everything that's happened over the last decade, but that can wait. The newest Planeteers are waiting to meet you." She smiled at her former charges surprised look. "Katie's told them a good deal about you. And your son is definitely carving himself a place among the other Planeteer's."

Lily started smiling again. "I shouldn't be surprised. Katie was always declaring my greatness to the kindergarten class, telling vivid tale's of my exploits in the fight to save the planet." She shook her head. "I guess some things never change." With those words, she walked out the door, heading for the beach.

* * *

"And that," Katie finished off, "is how Mom was able to stop Blight from her experimentation with animal DNA."  
Gi sat back up, wiping a tear of mirth from her eye. "That's great. That's really great. I never knew Blight actually had two good eyes. What happened to them?"

Wheeler grinned. "Hinoto accidentally put her face into a vat of her own chemicals. I remember hearing her screams from the car. Then Mom asked whether I wanted pizza or a small sub."

"You chose pizza, if I'm not mistaken. And it wasn't a vat of chemicals, Wheeler. It was a vat of water with color dye in it. She apparently had an allergic reaction to the combination."

Wheeler and Katie both turned in surprise, staring at the impossible.

Lily started laughing at the expressions on their faces. "Oh, come on," she exclaimed. "It's not like you haven't seen anything of this nature before."

Katie shot up like a bullet, making a beeline for her mother, while Wheeler got up a bit slower, chuckling a bit at his sister's enthusiasm. "Gee, Kate, you could move a little faster," he joked.

Katie gave Lily a near bone crushing hug. "Mom!" she squealed.

Lily held her daughter close, her smile nearly the size of an crocodile's. "Katie, I'm very glad that you're safe." She turned her attention to her son, schooling her face into a unemotional mask. "Wheeler," she said in Russian. "It is good to see you alive and unharmed."

Wheeler bowed. "Mother," he replied in the same language. "I am happy to see you after all of these years."

"Gaia's informed me that you've become one of the best Planeteer's that she has ever known."

"I've done a few things in my time. I don't think I've done anything special."

Later, neither one would know who reached for who first. All they would remember was that the veneer of formality cracked, and they found themselves hugging each other for the first time in eleven years.

"Mom," Wheeler murmured, his voice cracking, Here, in front of family and friends, he could be weak, if only for a moment.

"Oh, Wheeler." Lily rocked back and forth, tears leaking form her eyes. "Oh, my boy. I can't believe that I'm seeing you again." The two separated, both grinning idiotically. "So!" Lily exclaimed, turning her attention to the other Planeteers. "You want to introduce me to your friends?"

Wheeler turned as well. "Oh, sorry. This is Gi, Kwame, Ma-Ti, Laura." He pointed to each of them in turn. "That's Peter Pan, John, Michael, Slightly, Toodles, Nibs, The Twins (Don't ask me what their real names are.), and Cubby." He looked at Wendy. "You've already met Wendy."

Now Lily was surprised. "Hold on a minute, this is the Peter Pan that J.M. Barrie wrote about?"

"Pretty much."

"I thought he'd be younger."

Peter sighed. "Blame her," he replied, pointing at Wendy. "It's all her fault."

"Hey!" Wendy exclaimed, glaring at him for a moment. "I am not the one who kept coming into our bedroom, looking at me!"  
Slightly grinned. "She's got you there, Peter."

"You stay out of this!"

"A-hem." Gi cleared her throat. "As much as I like an exhibition of wrestling…okay, I don't like wrestling at all…but could you two can it? Gaia doesn't want blood on the sand."

Lily laughed. "It's definitely good to see some things never change!" She looked around. "Now I see Water, Earth, Heart, and obviously Fire, but where's Wind?"  
Wheeler grinned. "Taking a trip via boat."

"Oh, no."

"Oh, yes."

* * *

Linka swayed a bit, holding a heavy pole in her hands. Readjusting herself slightly so she was steady once more, she glared at her companion. "You are enjoying this," she accused her.

Potter grinned, shrugging slightly. "I had to do the same thing when I was training, so this is a wonderful change of pace for me. So, yeah, I'm enjoying myself immensely."

"But here, far from shore!"  
"Basically, yeah."

What Linka was referring to was the fact that they were almost seventy miles from shore, with the island a tantalizing prospect on the horizon. Not that Linka was going to be able to get to it. She was stuck on a boat with a Guardian, one who was taking a great deal of pleasure in her discomfort. And they were both in a rowboat. A rowboat! "If I was Irish, I would call you a piece of Haggis."

Lily's grin grew. "Do you even know what Haggis is?" When Linka shook her head, she chuckled. "Haggis is meat and barley, stuffed in sheep's skin."

"And what do you do with it?"

"You eat it."

Linka grimaced in disgust. "How revolting!"  
Lily shook her own head. "Actually, it's very good." She sneezed, rocking the boat as she did so.

"Stop!" Linka shrieked, trying to stay on. "You will tip us over!"  
"So?" Lily retorted calmly.

The Wind Planeteer could not believe this woman. "I am a good swimmer, but I am not a fish, you Yankee!"  
"Actually, I'm English, if my accent didn't give that fact away."

"And you've been acting as an American. You lied to everyone! Isn't that against your rules?"  
That did it. Lily stopped rowing, glaring at her young charge. "You, at this particular moment, madam, have the manners of a goat. And you have no idea of your true potential." She rocked the boat starboard, hard. "Now, get out!" she bellowed.

And Linka shrieked as she was pitched overboard, hitting the water with a splash. Lily quickly muttered a spell under her breath, making Linka's legs as heavy as wooden planks.

Linka surfaced quickly, trying to move her legs. However, she found that she couldn't do so. "What have you done!" she cried. "I will drown if you don't-" She was cut off when she swallowed a mouthful of saltwater.

Lily sighed exasperatedly. Surely, she wasn't this dense when she started going to Hogwarts. "You can't drown, you fool! You're immortal!" she informed her, rowing away as Linka slowly sank beneath the waves. She started singing an ancient tune that she knew. Basically; 'Row, Row, Row Your Boat.'

* * *

Wheeler sighed when Potter made it back to shore, noting his girlfriend's absence rather quickly. "You left her out there, didn't you," he stated, shaking his head.

Sloane closed her eyes in exasperation. "Do you Guardians do that to everyone who is one of you?"  
Potter grinned. "My first student," she replied. "I wanted to teach her one little thing about herself."

"That she was a fish in another lifetime?" Gi asked in disbelief. "I'm going to get her, and then we'll deal with you!"  
Wendy looked up. "Maybe we should let Linka walk in herself. I think that this is a lesson all Guardians go through."

"And everyone pays Wendy, as she wins today's quiz." Potter sat down. "We're going to be waiting a while. It's still slow going in the water, regardless of the fact that she's immortal."

Gi stopped struggling. "What?"

Wheeler grinned mysteriously, sitting back down. "You'll see," was all he said

"What fun." Peter sat down as well. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Sloane looked at him. "Young man, if she wasn't sure, she wouldn't have done it in the first place."

"Oh…okay."

* * *

Linka touched the seabed, holding her breath, her eyes darting around in panic. She saw that she was about fifty feet down, and knew that she wouldn't be able to make it to the surface before she ran out of air. She did note, though, that her legs were unfrozen. A lot of help that did her now.

"_You can't drown, you fool! You're immortal!"_

Lily's last statement to her before she went under came back to her in a rush, and against her will, Linka exhaled, then inhaled. '_Kaneyasha, what am I doing?' _she asked herself, waiting for death to find her.

Nothing happened. Her lungs didn't take in any water.

Confused, she exhaled through her mouth, then inhaled again, noting the fact that no water entered through her mouth or nose. Surprised, she brought her hand up, poking one finger into her mouth experimentally. Finding nothing wrong, she started laughing, great bubbles of air heading up towards the surface. She didn't know why she was laughing, she just knew that the whole situation was starting to become humorous.

Now, though, she was going to have a little word with Lily Potter. With that in mind, she started walking across the seabed, heading for the shore.

Almost three hours later, Linka's head emerged from the water, eyes glaring at the shore. She saw Lily sitting there with the others, talking about something while eating lunch. At that point, Linka's own stomach growled, reminding her that she hadn't had anything to eat since breakfast. Another grievance to add to her now growing list.

Making her way over to where they were, she formed a spear from the air, gripping it tightly in her hands. She was going to do this quickly. With a little luck, she wouldn't be noticed.

Stopping right behind Potter, she raised her spear, brought it down quickly…

…and met nothing but the seat.  
Before the Wind Planeteer could process what had just happened, Potter's staff was at the back of her neck.

"Stupid and slow, kinsmen," Potter told her impishly. "Your attack was no better than that of a clumsy child." She formed an energy blade in her hand, and put it to good use, knocking the staff out of Linka's hand.

Linka looked at her hands, then at Potter. She turned her gaze back to the water. "What is this!" she asked, incredulous. "How was I able to do that?"

Potter sighed, smiling wearily. "You can't die by natural means, Linka. Accept it."

"And let' s face it," Wheeler threw in. "I doubt you're going to die by Sakar's hand anyways." He stepped up to her, holding his ring up. "I'm going to dry you off. You like a drowned rat."

Thirty seconds later, Linka was coifing her hair back into it's ponytail. "Thank you, dear," she said gratefully.

Sloane cleared her throat. "Wheeler, would you like to introduce me to your girlfriend, or should I ask your sister, who'll blow it all out of proportion?"

Everyone present started laughing at the panicked look on Wheeler's face. "No! Don't ask her!"  
"Hey, I'm not that bad!"

"Oh, yes you are!" Wheeler retorted.

"Kids!" Sloane bellowed.

Potter chuckled. "That must feel nice, being able to yell at your kids."

"Definitely. Now, Wheeler, about that introduction…"

Wheeler gestured. "Mom, this is Linka. She's Wind, if you haven't already figured it out."  
Linka stepped forward. "It's an honor to meet you, Mrs. Sloane."  
Sloane shook her hand. "The honor's mine, Linka," she replied, smiling. "Thanks for keeping my son in line for all of these years."

"Thanks a lot, Mom," Wheeler grumbled.

The other Planeteers started laughing at his indignant tone. They knew that he didn't really mean it.

* * *

Mary finished talking to one of the refugees, giving that person some comforting words, then heading for the Crystal Chamber. With the number of people being on the island, she decided to try and comfort them.

Millicent was sitting outside in one of the chairs, her eyes closed, though they opened when she heard Mary approaching. "You have not had any rest for the last few days," she said. "Try and get some sleep, Mary."

Mary sighed, sitting down in the seat next to her. "I can't. There's just too much going through my mind right now."

On that, Millicent had no way to soothe her. A mother's responsibility and concern for her children was apparently genetic.

And in Wendy's case, it was completely justifiable. She was being targeted for death by some kind of creature that none of them have really seen before, and to top it all off, they were a hundred year's in the future, with everyone they knew dead. They were, for all intents and purposes, alone in this world.

Millicent got up, smiling slightly. "Sleep, Mary. Wendy will still be here when you wake up."

Mary nodded, letting her head finally slump. Her body was finally demanding some kind of rest. And it wouldn't take no for an answer.

Phlox walked outside, observing her. "I think it would be best if she isn't disturbed for about five hours," he said quietly.

Nodding, Millicent headed inside, looking for George.

* * *

"How are Guardians able to exist?" Peter asked.

Potter looked into the Planet Vision. "Why do new realms form everyday?" she replied with. "Is Neverland merely a reality that only children can enter? Who knows?" She turned to look at them. "The Guardians are beings of infinite strength and power, capable of almost anything. We're immortal, and can't be killed unless by an empowered weapon." She grinned at their amazed expressions. "It's not unlike Gaia. But where as Gaia is a physical representation of a planet, a Guardian is the physical representation, and protector, of a power or force. I, for example, are a Guardian of Magic."

"You mean, you protect magic?" Wendy asked, curious.

"Precisely."

Gi whistled. "That's got to be fun."  
Potter chuckled. "Oh, it's loads sometimes, but it's also a massive responsibility." Her smile faded. "What I'm trying to say is, because of the vastness of our powers and abilities, it is important that we know how to use them correctly, and to use them only when necessary."

Wheeler nodded. "That sums up what my dad told me. So what's with the long face?"  
"Most Guardians train for years." Potter looked at the two of them. "You have one month."

"Why one month?" Linka inquired.

"Sakar," T-Pol replied. "And the Sunak."

Potter nodded. "Correct, Sub-Commander. If either Sakar or the Sunak Confederation destroy Gaia, then this realm will fall into darkness. And the defenses of Zion will weaken."

"The Big Ten," Wheeler murmured.

"Yep."

Slightly frowned. "What are the Big Ten?"  
Potter smiled. "The Big Ten are ten of the most powerful, and oldest, realms in Existence that the powers of darkness don't control. They form a powerful defensive wall, surrounding the Guardians home realm of Zion."

Trip snapped his fingers. "That's what the Cap'n was talking about when he said some sort of electrical field!"  
"Indeed." The Vulcan looked at Potter. "We saw the Big Ten when we were entering this realm."

"I had a feeling you did. It was all over your view screen, I gather."

Unfortunately, Linka interrupted the conversation before it got any further off track. "Sorry to halt what is probably a most stimulating conversation, but I, for one, want to know where Wheeler and I stand in the grand scheme of things."

Potter turned her head, staring at Linka for the first time in an hour. "Isn't it obvious?" she replied. "The very reason that the Sloane family line has fought for."

Linka blinked. "Are you trying to tell us…that Wheeler and myself are to fight…and beat Sakar!"

"Is it so hard to believe?"

"_Da! _We're just…"  
"Just what?" Wheeler asked quietly. "Because if you were going to say that we're just Planeteers, then take a look back at the apartments and the hospital."  
"And you don't have any choice," Peorth said, coming into the room. "I've just received word from Yggdrasil that the Sailor Scouts and Digi-Destined are gone."

As one, the Planeteers surged up. "What!" Gi exclaimed for all of them. "How?"  
"The Sunak." There was a bitter taste in the First Class Goddess's mouth as she said this. "They activated their portal technology, sending them out there…somewhere."

"And you didn't see fit to tell them now?" Wendy asked, incredulous.

"I didn't know until now. For some reason, their absence didn't become apparent until recently."

"That is bad." Kwame looked at the others. "Which means we have become Earth's last hope."

"And you two," Potter added, turning her attention to Wheeler and Linka, "are going to have to learn how to fight. With weapons, and in hand to hand combat."

Wheeler grinned. "My old man already beat you to it. He taught me a bit when I was seven."

"Okay, now there was a smart man. Which means you have a more than basic average understanding on our combat." Potter stood up, gesturing for the two Planeteers to do so. "What I have to teach you is the advanced combat techniques. Various martial arts styles, how to manipulate your respective abilities. Basically, emergency Guardian training."

"Now that, I can understand." Linka got up as well. "When do we start?"  
"Immediately."

Wendy stood up as well. "Could you teach me and Peter as well? For some reason, Sakar wants us dead."

Potter paused in her movements, turning to look at the young girl for a second. After a moment, she grinned. "Alright, join the club. Also…John, right?"

"Yes?" John asked.

Potter pulled out a vial, handing it to him. "Have Tiger Lily drink this. It'll teach her English." She chuckled. "Cornelius Fudge would pay hundreds of Galleons to be have this given to some of his peers, so he can actually speak to them.

"Then why don't you give it to this Fudge person?" Belldandy asked.

"Because I hate his stinking guts, and think that he's dumber than mud."

Gi laughed.

* * *

George looked up from the newspaper as Reed entered the room, rubbing his eyes. "I guess that Sunak person still refuses to talk."

Reed sighed, plopping into the chair across from him. "He's a soldier who takes his oath very seriously. He won't crack." He looked at his fellow English. "How's your wife? From my history lessons, women at the turn of the Twentieth Century didn't take this type of stress to well.  
George sighed. "She wasn't wearing a corset, thankfully. And she's handling it better than I thought she would. She's sleeping right now." He looked at the security chief. "You have any family in your time?" he asked.

Reed shifted a bit. "Just my parents." He was silent for second, then asked, "What's it like to have children?"

George's attention shifted from the newspaper again, a little surprised. "Well," he began, thinking about it for a second, "it fills a spot in my soul that I never thought that it could. And to have a daughter like Wendy…" he trailed off.  
Reed smiled. "Not exactly what you were hoping for."  
"On the contrary, I couldn't be happier. She is extremely intelligent, and she is free willed." He leaned in. "Don't tell Millicent, but those are the qualities I value most in her."

Reed chuckled. "Your secrets safe with me." He settled back, frowning. "Hold on…"  
"What?"  
Reed sat up again. "Why don't we let your wife talk to him? She just met Gaia today, after all. He might be more open to her."  
George sat up. "How about when Mary wakes up, and let her decide?"  
"Good idea. Lieutenant Reed to Captain Archer."

* * *

"Do you do this to everyone you meet?' Wendy asked, hair strewn all around her. "Or are we just special cases?"

Trip turned to Potter. "Ya know, that's a pretty good question. I don't recall Starfleet ever having cadets stand on their heads for more than three minutes."

"I don't believe that the Vulcan Science Academy train the cadets like this, either."  
Potter grinned. "Guardians do. It's designed to teach them one thing, and one thing only."

"What's that?" Peter asked, whose face was steadily becoming redder.

"That this isn't a contest. Now stand back on your own two feet, you four!" Potter sighed. "Honestly, I wasn't this naïve when I was a trainee."  
Linka giggled. "Who were you trained by?"  
"I was trained by Hikari, the Guardian of Light, and one of the Guardians of Althena."

Wheeler whistled. "You got trained by the best of the best? Cool."

Wendy staggered a bit, her face returning it's normal color. "So, what's next?"

"I think it's a bit obvious." Potter chuckled. "We get you clothes. Nightgowns don't make good combat uniforms."

"And where are we going to get them?" Peter asked.

"Zion. They've got enough clothes stores to fill New York City twice."  
"And how are we going to do that?"  
Potter grinned. "Leave that to me," she said. "We'll leave when Linka's training is complete. Go get the Lost Boys and your parents. They're going to want to blend in a bit more in this time. Wheeler, Linka…"  
"Yeah, yeah," Wheeler replied. "I know the drill."

"What drill?" Linka asked.

"I'll explain. In Zion, you want to show absolute respect to all Guardians. Ninety nine percent of them are heroes in their own realms." Wheeler frowned. "A few of them are jerks, but you get those type of people in every civilization."

Wendy nodded. "I have met a few in my time. There was Joseph Gardner, Thomas Winchester, and those three punks we ran into."

T-Pol nodded. "I remember those three. Nice right hook, by the way. I don't think they taught that in the early twentieth century."

Peter grinned. "She was always a tad more independent than all the other girls."

Wendy laughed. "And proud of it."

* * *

"Out of the question," Archer said.

"Sir, all of our conventional methods are useless in this case," Reed replied. "He may be more open to someone who hasn't been around Gaia."

Archer turned to glare at Peorth. "What do you think about this?"

Peorth shrugged. "I say we let Mrs. Darling decide for herself. Personally, I think it's the only course of action we have now that's doable."

Archer sighed. "I don't like it."

"I don't like it either, but like Peorth said, it's the only option we have left." Ere looked at the door where Zephyer was held. "Mrs. Darling's the only one that I'd trust with this."  
"All the same, I want the two guards to be in there with her when she talks to him. Just to be on the safe side."

Reed nodded. "I'll be in there as well."

"And I will do it."

Startled, the five beings turned around to see Mary standing behind them, her gaze on them. "You're sure?" Archer asked.

Mary nodded. "My children are at risk. If I can help reduce the risk to just Sakar, then I am willing to do that." She walked up to Archer. "With your permission, I would like to try."  
Archer frowned. "As much as I don't like the idea…you don't need my permission to do this. I don't have any authority over civilians."

Mary smiled. "Thank you."

"However," Archer continued. "You will have two guards with you at all times while you are in there."  
"But he's still tied up."  
"He's a soldier, and a good one, considering the fact that he hasn't asked for anything," Reed replied. "He could have an ace up his sleeve."

"So do I." Mary looked at the door, breathing in deeply. "The truth."

Potter and Sloane looked at each other, then at Archer. "You're allowing Mrs. Darling to talk to her?" Sloane asked, incredulous. "I'd rather she talk to Blight!"  
Archer held up his hands. "It was Malcolm's idea. And quite frankly, she said she wanted to do it."

Potter sighed. "Looks like our little trip is postponed." She looked at Archer. "I'll accompany her in there. The Sunak Confederation holds the Guardians in high esteem. He might talk more freely if a Guardian is there."

Archer nodded. "Well, it isn't like I can do anything else. Be my guest."

Sloane sighed, shaking her head. "I'm in a coma for eleven years. I wake up, and the first thing I hear is a civilian talking to a Sunak warrior. How about I go in there as well?"

'You sure you want to do it?" Peorth asked.

Sloane looked at her. "I'm rusty…I'm not dead."

Ere smiled. "No, you're not."

Archer smiled a bit.

* * *

Zephyer looked up as the door opened, admitting three females. "Milady," he said, bowing his head.

Potter returned the greeting. "Lieutenant Zephyer, of the Sunak Battle Cruiser _Crusher_," she said from memory. "Served with distinction against the Goa'uld attack six years ago, before being made a pilot in the Confederation's Red Squadron." She sighed. "And here we are, you a prisoner, me out of my reality. Sad, isn't it?"

"Unfortunate, and most surprising." Zephyer turned his attention to the other two. "And you two are probably the new interrogators."

Mary bowed her head once. "My name is Mary Darling, and I am not here to interrogate you. I just want to talk to you. I want to know why you wish to destroy Earth, when these people have no quarrel with you. You don't have to answer it, if you don't want to."

The Telazian stared at her in surprise. Most people asked that question, immediately followed by a tirade of how Gaia was nothing like the Death Dealer. This woman, however, simply asked the question, then let him decide whether or not to answer. And the last woman was simply standing there, watching him carefully. "Are you sure that you want to hear the answer, Mrs. Darling?" he replied. "It's not for the timid."

Mary sat down in front of him. "Well, I do know that this Sakar fellow is not a very nice person, and he wants to kill my daughter and her friend. He also wants to kill two of the Planeteers, for whatever reason."

"Excuse me?" Zephyer couldn't believe his ears. "Your _child_ has been targeted by the Death Dealer?"  
"Yes."

He sighed, deciding that he could answer the question. "Because of Sakar. He destroyed the home of my ancestors almost a thousand years ago."

"I'm sorry. Your family…"  
"My parent's were born on a city ship."

Potter turned to Sloane. "A city ship is where the majority of their population resides," she told the Wind Planeteer quietly. "Last I recall, there were about fifteen thousand of them, spread across four hundred light years, coupled with almost nine hundred thousand battle cruisers, eight five thousand science vessels, and fifty two thousand diplomatic vessels."  
Sloane whistled. "That's…a lot of ships."

"The Goa'uld have almost twice that number."

Mary turned to look at them, then returned her attention back to Zephyer. "Do you have a family?" she asked.

"Three daughters, and my wife," Zephyer replied, now truly confused about how the questioning was turning out. "Is this where you start asking me how many ships are in the invasion fleet?"  
"No, this where I ask you; If it was your home that Sakar was threatening, and the only way your superiors believe can stop him was to destroy your home, would you go through with that?"  
"How dare you-?"  
"No, how dare you?" Sloane finally said quietly. "How dare you decide that vengeance over one being is worth the death of billions of innocent lives? How dare you place Gaia in the same grouping as Sakar."  
"Spirits-"

"_Are not all like Sakar!"_ Sloane bellowed, her anger exploding. "_Zarm is an over inflated ass hole who wants to send Earth into a polluted swampland, but he doesn't want Earth destroyed! And Gaia has no desire to destroy anything, you green skinned son of a bitch!"_

Mary stared at her for a second. "Mrs. Sloane…"  
Sloane stepped forward. "Step away, Mary. I want to have a word with him about what _real _pain is."

Potter put a hand on the slightly older woman's shoulder. "Let's give her a chance."

Mary turned, stared into the eyes of the Guardian, and nodded, getting up, and stepping back.

Sloane sat down, her blue eyes blazing. "Your ancestors lost a world," she said, silent steel in her voice. "But what have you lost, personally? Have you lost a decade of your life, a mental vegetable in a hospital. Have you ever lost your significant other to that monster, while your son had his memories suppressed, to protect him from Sakar? Tell me, Telazian, have you _ever_ experienced pain…real pain…before in your life?"

Zephyer stared at her. "No," he replied, sympathy lacing his tone. "Have you?"

Sloane nodded. "I went through that personally. Sakar targeted everyone who is a Sloane for death, as well as anyone else who gets in his way. My son, a Planeteer, is a Guardian-"

"What!" Zephyer struggled to get up from his seat, the ropes straining. "Your son is a Guardian?!"  
"Yes, and Sakar would see to it that he is dead! Don't you see, now? Don't you understand? You destroy Earth, you lose your only chance to destroy Sakar once and for all!"  
Mary stepped forward again. "Mrs. Sloane," she said quietly. "I know of a way to gain his trust." She walked up to him. "Stay still, and I will untie you."  
Potter looked at her. "Are you sure that's safe?"  
"Well, he will not trust us if we don't trust him first." Mary stepped behind him, her hands on the knots. "Can we trust you," she asked, "to be honorable?"  
Zephyer's eyes widened at this, then he nodded. "You have my word as a soldier of the Sunak Confederation," he replied. "It is the highest oath that one of my kind takes."

Mary nodded, then started untying his hands. She stepped back, letting him untie his feet, then stand up, stretching out his arms and legs. Potter stood ready, on the off chance that he decided to attack. However, he didn't do anything, except stare at them. "So, what is it that you want to know?" he asked.

Sloane grinned. "Not bad, Mrs. Darling," she whispered. "Do you think he'll trust us enough to tell us what we need to know?"  
Mary shrugged. "As long as we're also open with him."

"I'll go with that," Potter stated. "Well, it appears that I'm not required here, so I'm going to continue Linka's training."

* * *

Linka blocked quickly, barely missing having her arm removed from the rest of her body. She lashed, a little frustration etching it's way into her attack.

Potter casually brushed the attack aside, her kendo stick tapping her on the back, none to gently. "Never attack out of anger. If your enemy has an enchanted weapon, it's game over at that point."

Linka almost threw her weapon down in frustration. "Well, it is kind of difficult to contain that when I have not had a chance to rest since this morning. Even warriors in training have to stop once in a while!"  
"So, do you think I'm pushing you too hard?" Potter asked. "Wheeler doesn't seem to think so. He's been under the same stress as you, and he isn't complaining."  
"He's already had the training from his parents! Not to mention the fact he has obtained all of his family lines experience!"

"But he isn't a Guardian, yet. Until he passes his trial, he still has limits. Now, I ask you again, do you think I'm pushing you too hard?"  
Linka's teeth grounded together at the absurdity of the question. "What happens if I answer wrong, _sister_?" she asked scathingly.

"You just did, by showing your anger," Potter replied. "But I want a simple yes, or no. Be honest."  
"Yes, for crying out loud! Are you happy now?"  
"Yes." Potter grinned. "Now, what is wrong with that answer?"

Linka stared at her incredulously. "You mean, besides the fact that I answered honestly! Besides the fact that you are a tyrannical despot who pushes and pushes! The fact-!"  
"I'm talking more on the lines of your emotional state," Potter interrupted. "You are letting your anger influence you. And in a battle, you can't allow that to happen." She frowned. "I'd also like you to be a little more polite when you start rattling off reasons like that. I personally don't like being called a tyrannical despot. In fact, I find it insulting."

"Oooooh," Linka turned around quickly, lashing out hard and fast.

She quickly found herself on her back, her arms pinioned behind her.

Potter stood over her, her own eyes blazing. "You never, and I mean _never, ever_, attack someone before they are prepared. It's cowardly, and dishonorable to all Guardians." She released her hold on Linka, stepping back. "Now, the reason I have pushed you, is because of the fact that I'm giving you a taste of what it is like to _be _a Guardian. There are times when we are required to push our abilities in ways that they are not made for, and in order for us to do that, we have to learn how to focus our anger correctly, channel that aggression. Otherwise, we would fall into darkness."

Linka got up, rubbing her arm. "What do you mean by that?" she asked.

"Well, Guardians, as a whole, don't reveal themselves to a universe, unless it's to a select few, like your fellow Planeteers. We do this, because on some worlds, we would be feared, and on others, we'd be worshipped."

Wheeler made a gagging motion. "And worship isn't what the Guardians are about," he said.

"Now then…" Potter picked up Linka's kendo stick, and threw it at her. "I have to admit, it took you longer than I thought before you let your frustration control you. Now, let's see if you can go longer…"

----

By dinnertime, Linka was hungry enough to eat an elephant, as she hadn't eaten all day. However, for some strange reason, she was satisfied. The last two hours were the longest she had ever held an iron clad control on her emotions.

Laura greeted them at the door, holding a plate of sandwiches. "Seeing as how you weren't here for lunch," she said, "I figured you might want some sustenance."  
"Thanks." Wheeler quickly picked up one, taking a bite out of it. "Training for almost nine hours straight, with no breaks. Did you bring drinks?"

Ma-Ti walked out, holding a large bottle of water. "Here you go. There's about three more liters inside, if you need more."

"Thank you." Linka finished off one sandwich, watching as Potter did the same, before reaching for another one. "What did the Guardians of Althena do to you?" she asked. "Hang you by your toenails if you did not complete a full day of training?"  
Potter looked up. "Are you kidding? If they did that, Alania would have been on their case. But, yeah, they trained me vigorously." She grinned. "I'm going easy on you, if you want to know."  
Linka choked for a second, before she managed to swallow. "You…were going easy on us!" she managed to gasp out.

"Oh, yeah. Hikari was your best friend when you were off training, but when you _were_ training, she was a lot worse. But she was fair, too. She didn't train me if I was sick, for starters. Also, if I needed an excuse to get out, she covered for me." She paused for a second in her recollection. "Actually, now that I think about it, she was always setting me up on dates with James."  
"James?" Katie echoed, walking out there.

"James Potter, my husband and counterpart. I lost track of him after…"

Wheeler looked at the Guardian. "I'm guessing this is Voldemort's doing."

Potter nodded, not saying another word. Everyone else decided to heed that silence, and no one brought it up.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

The deceptive quiet of the Hope Island was shattered the next day by an urgent summons. And when everyone was sleeping. What nerve.

"We have a message coming in!" Kwame shouted from the Crystal Chamber. "Gi, it is Sailor Mercury!"

Quickly, everyone converged into the room, Gi in the lead, surprised to hear those words come out of the Earth Planeteer's mouth. The Scouts were all gone...weren't they?

_"Hope Island, this is Sailor Mercury. Planeteers, please respond. This is Sailor Mercury, contacting Hope Island."_

On second thought, maybe not.

Gi stood in front of the screen, grinning from ear to ear. "Sailor Mercury, this is Gi! Damn, it's great to hear from you!"

_"Likewise, Gi," _Mercury replied, a small, relieved smile on her face. _"However, as you've probably figured out already, we aren't on Earth. Apparently, we are on a planet called Lunar."_

Potter's eyes widened. "Lunar?" she whispered. "Did she say that they were on Lunar?"

"General consensus, yeah." Wheeler stepped forward, stepping into view. "Mercury, what's going on there? Judging from your expression, something's taken a turn for the worse."

_"In a sense, they have. We've run into an old friend on Lunar. Queen Beryl, the ruler of the Negaverse."_

Archer looked at Peorth. "Beryl?" he echoed.

"Long story," Peorth replied.

"Are you sure?" Potter asked Mercury.  
_"Well, lady, the last time I saw the bitch, Sailor Moon was vaporizing her in the Artic, so yeah, I'm pretty sure."_

Wendy winced. "They actually allow women to say such language?" she asked.

"Welcome to the late Twentieth Century," Ex replied, grinning. "The rules have changed."

"Is that so?" Tiger Lily asked. After the potion had been given to her, it had taken several minutes for it to take effect. However, once it did, the communication barrier had been shattered. And it had taken very little time for the lot of them to get used to it. After everything they had seen, this was normal.

"What else?" Wheeler kept his focus on what the purpose of the communication. This was definitely something where they needed information.

_"We've made contact with a few of the locals, as well as the Digi-Destined. Also, we have uncovered a conspiracy concerning a race known as the Sunak."_

"The Sunak? Are you sure?"

_"One of their ships de-cloaked over the Magic Guild, and beamed Beryl and a group of demons away, so yeah, I'm sure on that too." _Mercury suddenly looked down. Her eyes narrowed. _"The realm divergence is starting to interrupt with the signal, so I'm going to have to cut this short. Listen, we may not be able to get back to Earth anytime soon, so you five, and anyone else that you might find, are the only hope for home...good luck." _The transmission cut off as Mercury turned around to address someone else.

Linka blinked. "That was brief."

"But oh so informative." Potter sat down, turning to stare at Zephyer. "Now, if I recall correctly, only the _Terek_ class of vessel are capable of entering other realms with their cloaking devices fully operational."

Zephyer nodded, a little unnerved to be in the presence of a spirit. "They are the only ones I know, though I have heard rumors that the Praetor had ordered construction of a warship that could do the same thing."

"_That's_ not a good thing to hear," Laura noted.

Mary and George traded glances. George nodded hesitantly, and Mary walked out of the Chamber.

Peorth shook her head. "Look, all we know is that the Sailor Scouts and the Digi-Destined were sent out of our world to weaken Earth's defenses. We also know that your people, no offense, Zephyer, were partially responsible for this mess."

Zephyer observed the blank screen for a second more. "Now, I am not saying that I trust you, Gaia, but I do want to know what your strategy is to counter this."  
Gaia sighed, sitting down. "I don't know, sir," she replied. "I can only do what my heart tells me, and that's protect the Earth. I leave all strategies to the Planeteers. After all, they're the ones that are out there ninety five percent of the time."

"Well, we have a tactical board aboard _Enterprise_ that can be used," Archer suggested. "And I need to get back up there." He grinned slightly. "Anyone game?"

Potter grinned. "Let's go, then."

_

* * *

It is time...time for you to reawaken._

_Time for you to serve the light again._

_You have been chosen, fallen Jedi, to train one who has been targeted by the Death Dealer._

_Now, arise..._

_...wake up already!_

----

In an instant, the man's eye shot open, and he sat up quickly, confused. For a second there, he had thought that he had heard someone yell at him...

Breathing deeply, calming himself to the point where he could adequately take in his surroundings without paranoia setting in, Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn went over what he remembered in a methodical fashion. He remembered the lightsaber duel, where he and his apprentice, Obi-Wan Kenobi, took on the Sith Lord Darth Maul (How did he know that name?). How he and Obi-Wan became separated by an energy shield, how...

The Jedi Master understood immediately what had happened. Maul had hit him with the center of his duel lightsaber, then stabbed him through his chest. He could feel the energy blade, the trademark Sith red, burning a hole through his heart.

He hadn't known how the fight turned out between his apprentice and Maul immediately, but when Obi-Wan came to his side, he realized who had triumphed. He remembered his final words to him, and then...

...he woke up here, hearing voices.

Getting to his feet, he saw that he was still clothed what was Jedi clothing. The simple cloth's and boots that were all the Jedi owned, complete with robes of brown. He felt his side, feeling the reassuring weight of a lightsaber, the Jedi's tool against the darkness.

Now that he was satisfied that he had all of his limbs intact, and that he was clothed adequately, he took a look around. He noticed that there was rock on one side, and trees on the other. '_I am in a forest of some kind,'_ he decided. '_This must be a mountain on my other side. The question is, where am I? As I recall, Coruscant doesn't have any natural structures of any kind. Perhaps Naboo.'_

Deciding that he might as well take a look around his new environment, he began walking away from the mountain.

* * *

A knocking on the door brought Keiichi out of the kitchen, where he was trying to cook some lunch. The key word there was _trying_. He had never been good at cooking.

"I'll get it!" he shouted, so Skuld didn't get up from the TV. It was the first time she had been out of her room in days, and he didn't want her running screaming for the door.

Opening the door, he was surprised to see Michelle standing there, still dressed in her high school uniform. "Michelle, hey!"  
The aqua haired girl smiled. "Did I come at a bad time?" she asked.

"No, no, not at all! Please, come in! How's Amara?"  
"Oh, she's fine. She's still waiting for that rematch with you."  
Keiichi chuckled a bit. Beating Amara had made him an instant contender among the elite college cyclists in the nation, and his name was rather well known in the Japanese circuit now. Also, Amara and Michelle had become good friends with them. He took a good look at her.

And right now, Michelle had the look of a woman who had seen a ghost. Not a good thing.

Skuld walked out of the room, a small bowl of ice cream with her. "Who is it? ...Oh, hiya, Michelle!"  
Michelle smiled slightly. "Hello, Skuld." She looked around. "You have a very nice place here."  
"Well, Belldandy did most of the decorating," Keiichi replied. "But I get the feeling that you're not here for small talk."

Michelle nodded. "Keiichi, do you know where Belldandy is? Because I thought I saw her in New York, on the news."  
Skuld choked on a spoonful of ice cream, her shock evident. That was the last thing she had expected to hear. "Belldandy's in New York?!"

"Yes. You...didn't know."

Keiichi nodded. "Belldandy didn't tell Skuld where she was going, and she told me to keep it a secret. And then Urd shot out of here like the devil was after her two days ago."

The young woman stared at him. "Are you telling me that both of them are gone?"

"Afraid so. Why?"

"Do you know _why?_" Keiichi shook his head. "She didn't say anything to you!"

"She said she would be gone for a few weeks, and then packed up and left."  
"Did you know that she had a weapon that she could fire energy blasts from?"  
The human and the second class goddess traded looks of astonishment. Neither of then had been watching the news for a while, so they hadn't heard anything. "What makes you say that?" Skuld asked, her voice a little more high pitched than usual.

Michelle took deep breath, and said eight words that confirmed their worst fears.

"I saw her on television, wielding that weapon."

And Keiichi gestured for her to sit, making a quick decision, though he was going to have to explain this one to Belldandy when she got home. "You might as well make yourself comfortable. Have I got a story to tell you."

And taking a deep breath, he began speaking...

* * *

"Nice bridge," Wheeler noted.

Reed grinned. "We like it."

Archer also grinned. "This is Ensign Hoshi Sato, our communications officer. You've met Travis Mayweather."

Travis shook Sloane's and Potter's hands. "Good to meet you."

Potter returned the smile. "Well, Mister Mayweather, it's certainly good to meet you. My people met your parents before you were born." She became thoughtful for a second. "Did your father ever get that little problem with the helm on his ship taken care of?"

Mayweather blinked. "When I was five," he replied. "How did you-?"  
"Like I said, my people met your parents right before you were born. And I mean three days right before you were born."

"Oh."

Reed brought up the image of the Sunak attack force, staying on the task at hand, though he smiled inwardly. "Now, according to Zephyer, there are a hundred and fifty two ships. Twenty two of them are battle cruisers of various classes, and the remaining hundred and thirty are fighters. Their orders are simple; Encircle the planet, then send the fighters and the _Crusher_ down to take out Hope Island. Afterwards, the remaining vessels would begin bombarding the planet in earnest, targeting military outposts and capital cities."  
Sloane stared at the image, brow furrowing. "This doesn't make sense. If their enemy is Sakar, then why are they attacking in the first place with a full fledge fleet?"

"No idea," Potter replied. "What do you think, Peorth?"  
Peorth gave it a bit of thought. "I think the Sunak have made a deal with the Negaverse. In exchange for the ability to destroy the Death Dealer, they have to destroy Earth for them."

"But why?" Gi asked. "Why does this Negaverse hate us so much?"  
"The same reason that Sakar does. They just _do._"  
Ma-Ti shuddered. "That is simply something I never want to see. Hate for the sake of hating."  
"Well, we can't do anything about that, so let's focus on what we can deal with. Suggestions on how we deal with the Sunak?"  
Reed looked up. "Well, we know that there is extraterrestrial life in this reality, so why don't we see if any of them would be willing to help?"

"Not going to work. The Goa'uld are the only power capable of challenging the Sunak in this galaxy, but they hate the human race as well. The Tok'ra have vessels capable of fighting back, but they only have a few ships." Potter sighed. "Only the Asgard are more advanced, but they're in another galaxy altogether. The Tolan are unable to help, as they are still rebuilding their society. So we're pretty much on our own on this."

"What about your people?" Hoshi asked.

"Well, unless there's a Stargate nearby..."  
"Stargate?" Linka interrupted.

Wheeler smiled. "A Stargate is a device that uses wormhole technology to aide someone traveling between two planets. It's extremely advanced, constructed by a race of beings who are now extinct."

"Oh...are there any of these...Stargates on Earth?"  
Potter looked up, her gaze widening. "You're a genius," she said in amazement. "I had forgotten about that." She turned to Hoshi. "Could you please contact the Pentagon, and ask them to put General George Hammond on the line?"  
"Umm, Captain?" Hoshi asked.

Archer nodded. Potter had more knowledge than Starfleet Intelligence. "Do it." He turned his attention back to Potter. "Whose General Hammond?"  
Potter grinned. "The only other commanding officer who has experience dealing with aliens. He's in charge of the Stargate Program."

"And he can help us?" T-Pol asked.

"Oh, yeah, he can help."

* * *

Stargate Command. Cheyenne Mountain. One of the most secure military bases in the United States, and quite possibly the world, and for good reason. It possesses Earth's greatest defense against the Goa'uld.

In it's confines, there was a device, known only as the Stargate, that the U.S. government had controlled since it was discovered in 1929. It was a doorway to other worlds, using wormhole technology to connect two points in the galaxy to each other.

It was the most important tool in the SGC.

General George Hammond, head of the facility, understood this all too well. With the lives of over twelve SG units, as well as almost two hundred personnel, a third of them civilians, he had come to realize that one of his orders could send someone to their death. Especially with the Goa'uld as a constant threat against Earth. And now, the Sunak. His job wasn't becoming any easier these days.

As he finished up what was left of his paperwork for the day, the red phone rang. Turning his attention to it, he picked up. "This is Hammond."  
"_General, this is Captain Archer of _Enterprise."

Hammond started a bit in surprise, then settled down. "Captain, I don't know how you got this phone number, but I can only assume that you aren't calling me just to talk."

There was a short pause. _"Look, I've recently learned that you have a device called a Stargate, and that you have been fighting an alien race that call themselves the Goa'uld. Also, the President himself gave us the number, so your secret is still safe."_

"I'm glad to hear it. So, what is it?"

_"We need your help."_

"With what, if I may ask?"

_"Defending this planet, and repairing my ship. And your Stargate may be the key to helping us with both.." _Archer was silent for a second. _"Look, I wouldn't be calling you if I didn't think it was necessary."_

Hammond nodded, thinking it over. It was a plausible argument, and Archer sounded sincere. "How about we meet somewhere, Captain? That way, you can tell me exactly how you know about the Stargate, and why you need it. There's a small cafe in the town near the SGC. Let's meet there in two hours."

_"Understood. Two hours, then. Archer out."_

Hammond put the phone back down, breathing in, weighing in his options. He was going to have to inform the Pentagon about this, and have a meeting with SG-1 to discuss tactics.

----

"I need suggestions, people." Hammond sat back in his seat. "Do we, or do we not allow Archer access to this facility?"  
Colonel Jack O'Neill, head of SG-1 and second in command of the SGC, blinked once. "You're asking me?" he asked. "He's in a spaceship, for crying out loud. I don't think he needs to ask for anything."

Teal'c, the only alien in the entire SGC, leaned forward, hands interlaced. His expression never changed, save for small movements in his eye brow. "I do not know enough about them to give my suggestions in this matter, General Hammond. However, I believe that anyone who wishes to fight the Sunak should be considered a potential ally, at the very least."

Captain Samantha Carter turned a bit. "Also, they do have a ship, as the colonel pointed out. If they wanted to, they could bombard this mountain with their weapons. The fact that they want to meet us tells us something." She turned. "Captain Anderson, what do you think?"  
Anderson shifted, a bit uncomfortable about being here. After the Sunak invasion, the Pentagon bigwigs had let him in on the secret that was the Stargate Program, a secret group of men and women who traveled to other worlds, making contact with other species. And as he was the one who spoke to _Enterprise_, they had sent him to meet Hammond and O'Neill. "Well, Archer seems to be a good captain, and his crew's loyal. Apparently, they came from a parallel reality, where aliens are the norm." He grinned. "Who here's watched _Star Trek_ when they were younger?"  
"What is this _Star Trek_ you speak of?" Teal'c asked.

"I'll explain later. What about it?" Doctor Daniel Jackson asked, intrigued.

Anderson chuckled. "Go a hundred years before Kirk and Spock, and you have a good idea. They even have a Vulcan on board, as well as a...Denoblian for a doctor."  
"Wonder if they'd like to share anything with us," O'Neill said. "Phasers, Torpedoes, silverware, that sort of thing."

Hammond sat up. "In this case, that's not an issue. Doctor Jackson, what do you think?"

Jackson adjusted his glasses a bit. "I say that we meet them, and find out if they're sincere. Then we can make a decision then."

"I like his plan," O'Neill said, perking up.  
"Agreed. SG-1, you will accompany me to my meeting with Captain Archer. If all goes well, no one will get hurt." Hammond got up, signifying that the meeting was over. "Dismissed."

* * *

Qui-Gon's confusion was growing. He had been walking for several hours, seeing nothing but trees and small, woodland creatures. Creatures that he wasn't familiar with.

And now, this.

He was standing next to what looked like a road of some kind. And it looked like a road that vehicles would use to travel between destinations. However, it was unlike any road he had ever seen before. He decided that he wasn't on a planet in the Republic, or the Outer Rim.

As he observed yet the latest discovery of his renewed life, he heard the sound of something approaching. Turning his attention in the direction of the sound, he saw a kind of vehicle approaching him, coming down the road at a pretty fast speed. It was red, with no top, and...

Oui-Gon blinked, the only sign of his surprise. Were those _wheels_? Had he been transplanted into the past?

The car slowed, then stopped, and a blond male looked up at him in polite confusion, speaking to him in a tongue that he wasn't familiar with. He stared back at him, just as confused.

The driver, realizing that he couldn't understand him, switched to another language. "Hey, pal, you look like you're lost." He gestured. "Wanna lift?"  
Qui-Gon snapped out of his stupor, registering the offer, and the fact that he was not a he, but a she. "Yes, thank you," he replied, walking over to the other side. "I was separated from my comrades, and have no way to contact them."

"Well, hopefully, they went to Tokyo, because that's where I'm heading." The blond stuck out her hand when her new companion. "I'm Amara Tenoh."

Qui-Gon shook it. "I go by the name Qui-Gon Jinn," he replied.

Amara nodded. "Weird name, but I've heard weirder." She grinned. "Well, buckle up your seat belt, because this is going to be a fast ride!"  
Seconds later, Qui-Gon was holding on for dear life as the red corvette tore down the street, heading for Tokyo, and unknowingly, into conflict.

* * *

Archer and Kwame looked around for a moment, while Urd and Mary stood patiently behind them. "Nice place," the Earth Planeteer noted.

Archer had to agree on that. "Very nice. Now, where should we sit?"  
Kwame pointed over at an empty booth near the entrance. "That looks like a good place."

Archer nodded, having the same thought on that, then started heading in that direction, Kwame and the two females right behind him. He was no longer in uniform, instead wearing civilian clothing. He looked just like anyone in the cafe, and that was what he wanted. No point in taking chances.

Sitting down, the two men observed their surroundings, while Urd looked over the menu with a slightly wicked grin on her face. Mary simply sat there patiently, though her hand strayed to her little purse, as if to make sure that it was still there.

Kwame suddenly pointed a finger in one direction. "I believe that is them."

Archer turned his head to see a bald man, being followed by four other people, enter through the other entrance, all dressed in civilian clothing. One of them had some kind of strange gold type of tattoo on his forehead. Other than that, he could pass as an citizen.

Hammond walked up to them, taking in Archer's features, and making the connection quickly. "Captain Archer?"

Archer got up, shaking Hammond's name. "General, a pleasure to meet you." He gestured. "And these are your bodyguards?" he asked jokingly.

Hammond grinned slightly. This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Captain Samantha Carter, and Teal'c."

O'Neill looked at the other three. "Howdy, folks."

Mary smiled, a little put off with his caviler attitude. "Hello."

Hammond turned. "Colonel, could you excuse us? I'd like to talk to Archer alone."  
"Well certainly, General. Come on, Teal'c. I'll introduce you to Mexican."  
Teal'c frowned for a second. "I believe the correct phrase is Mexico, O'Neill."

The colonel rolled his eyes. "Oh, for crying out loud. Come on, Teal'c. It's the food I'm talking about."

Archer turned to his little group. "Could you excuse us?" he asked.

Mary nodded, getting up. "I've never tried Mexican food. How does it taste?"  
Kwame shuddered. "I never want to put something like that in my mouth again."

Urd smiled. "It couldn't have been that bad."

As they moved to another table, discussing the joys and terrors of Mexican food, the two commanding officers sat down again. "So, Captain, you obviously don't have a lot of time, so let's get down to business." Hammond observed him for a second. "Why do you need access to the Stargate?"

Archer sighed. "As you already know, the Sunak launched a preemptive strike against your Earth. We managed to beat them back, but to be perfectly honest, we're down on armaments. Also, our warp drive system is off line, and repairs would take a lifetime to do with twentieth century technology."

"So, you want to use the gate to contact someone who can."

Archer nodded fractionally. "That, and to see if there were any species out there willing to help out with the defense of this planet."

Hammond nodded. "We already sent that call out. The Tok'ra are sending a small group to help out, and an old friend of Teal'c's is coming personally." He eyed him shrewdly. "But I take it that's not all you need the gate for."  
"Someone that we've just met wants to use the Stargate to send a message to her people. Alert them of another danger." Archer held up a hand. "And we've seen that danger. It tried to kill two of my crew."

Hammond nodded. That complicated the situation a bit. "Well, I think that we have a bit of a situation on our hands. On the one hand, you did come to our aide against the Sunak. On the other hand, I am under orders not to allow any civilians not under my command access to the facility."

"Understandable. If it were under different circumstances, I wouldn't have revealed my ship to Earth's scanners."  
Hammond nodded. "But the circumstances aren't normal."

"No, they're not."

* * *

On Hope Island, Wendy suddenly sat up, frowning a bit. A sense of... something made its presence felt inside of her.

John and Michael felt it too.

In Tokyo, Qui -Gon looked around, observing the buildings around him. He could feel a disturbance in the Force, but he didn't know where.

Amara noticed this. "You okay, sir?" she asked. "You seem a little...jumpy."

Qui-Gon turned to her. "I'm quite alright. Just...a bit of a bad feeling is all."

----

Mary frowned, as if she had a bit of a headache, and she looked around.

Carter looked at her. "Are you alright, Mrs. Darling?"  
The young woman turned her attention back to her. "I just have a bad feeling all of a sudden. Like something has happened...somewhere."

----

"Did you two...feel that, too?" Michael asked weakly.

Wendy nodded mutely. "Yes," John answered quietly.

Tiger Lily, who had been dozing, looked up. "John, are you, alright?" she asked, her English now perfect.

John nodded, a little perplexed. "Just a bad feeling."

"And we're not having them either?" Michael asked sarcastically.

Wendy moved into the Crystal Chamber, her own feeling intensifying. "Gaia, could you...check and see if there is any Agent activity occurring on Earth? Something...doesn't feel right."  
Millicent looked up, her gaze sharpening considerably. '_Is it possible?'_ she thought. '_Could it...?' _She turned to look at George, who had the same thought.

Gaia was confused, but she did so, looking for anything out of the ordinary.

And then she found them. "Peorth, Belldandy!"  
The two goddesses charged into the Chamber. "What?" Belldandy asked.

Gaia pointed at the Planet Vision. "Could you tell me where they are going?"  
Belldandy stared at the screen for a moment, before gasping. "They're in Nekomi!" she exclaimed. "That's where Keiichi and Skuld are!" She turned around, bolting for one of the huts.

Wendy grabbed the communicator Archer had left, flipping it open and thumbing the ON button. "Wendy to Archer, we have Agent activity in Nekomi! Belldandy has gone to intercept, but she could use some help!"

"_Acknowledged. Archer out!"_

Wendy shut it off, then turned to Ma-Ti. "Did you have a contingency plan?"

Ma-Ti grinned. "We brought it into play last night." He turned. "Are you ready?"

Captain Planet returned the grin. "I don't even need plane tickets. Be back in a few." He shot off like a bullet, pushing Mach Three in under thirty seconds.

* * *

Archer jogged up to others, Hammond right behind him. "We have a situation, people."

Kwame looked at him. "What is it?"  
"Something's happened," Mary stated. "Something not to our liking."

"Agents have been spotted heading for a civilian residence," Archer explained, a little uneasy by the conviction in the woman's tone. It didn't seem right for a woman from the early Twentieth Century. "Belldandy has gone to intercept them, but she's going to need some backup."

Hammond nodded. "I'll send SG-1 with you."

"Fine by me. Mrs. Darling, I'll have..."

"I'm coming with you," Mary interrupted him.

Everyone did a double take. "Excuse me," Kwame said dumbly.

Mary stared at them. "You will need my help, Captain. Trust me on that."

Archer stared at her for a second, then nodded. "Alright. But just get the people out."

"Understood."

Archer brought his communicator up again. "Archer to _Enterprise._ Beam us aboard, then transport us to the coordinates that Gaia sends up." He turned to Hammond. "You might want to get back to your base."

Hammond nodded. "Colonel, good luck."

And then _Enterprise's_ transporter took them away.

* * *

Amara stopped in front of their destination, turning the car off. "Well, here we are," she said.

Qui-Gon observed where they were. "Your friend said she would be here?"

"She's probably inside right now. The people who live here are good friends of ours."

The Jedi Master smiled slightly. "Well, I hope she's a very open minded young woman…and a slower driver."  
Amara rolled her eyes. "Everybody's a critic," she muttered.

Qui-Gon chuckled inwardly. The young lady certainly meant well. It reminded him of Anakin, and the joy he had felt when he went pod racing. He wondered if she was the one he was supposed to train.

That trail of thought was disrupted when he felt another disturbance in the Force, alerting of incoming danger. Turning his head, he saw about forty people, all dressed in what he decided were some kind of uniform start up the stairwell. "Was your friend expecting anybody?" he asked.

Amara's eyes narrowed. "No...especially not businessmen. But I don't think they're here for business."

"Stay here." Qui-Gon observed them, convinced that they were the ones causing the disturbance. "And call the authorities."

With that, he started up the stairs after them, his hand resting near his lightsaber.

----

Michelle suddenly looked up, like something had spooked her. _'There is turbulence in the sea. Much turbulence.'_ She stood up, brow furrowing. _'And it's coming in fast!'_

Keiichi looked at her. "Is there something wrong?" he asked, concern in his tone.

Michelle looked around, before focusing on the door. "Do you have a back door?" Keiichi shook his head. "Well, we need to get to the back of the residence, now, and out one of the windows. And we need to be very quiet."

Keiichi nodded. "Skuld, your room's at the back. Let's go there."  
They made their way quietly to the back of the residence, keeping their heads down, with Michelle in the lead, who was secretly palming her transformation pen as they walked.

Unfortunately, their uninvited visitors decided that they weren't going to wait for them to go and hide. And they did it in a direct approach.

As they reached the hallway, the door exploded inward, slamming into the wall, and forcing them to the ground. Almost immediately, several people made their way into the shrine, weapons out.

_"Neptune Planet Power!"_

Several seconds later, Sailor Neptune stood where Michelle Kaioh once was, water collecting in her hands. With a simple thought, she forged it into a sphere. _"Neptune Deep Submerge!"_ she shouted, releasing the blast.

Several energy blasts erupted from the weapons, slamming into the sphere, causing it to explode outwards, drenching everything and everyone. They kept firing, not stopping for a second, forcing the Sailor Senshi to dive for cover.

However, Belldandy was an entirely different matter. She hurtled out of her room's mirror, and charged into the fray, her staff whirling around in a circle before connecting with one Agent's head. The Agent flew back to hit the ground outside, his head caved in.

The other Agents stopped in their tracks, staring at the young Goddess in surprise. Neptune was surprised as well.

"You keep your hands off my boyfriend and my little sister!" Belldandy snarled, staff raised.

Skuld's eyes widened in shock. Never, in all of her life, had she ever heard such hatred in her sister's voice. It was scary, to say the least.

That made up their decision rather quickly, and they shifted their targets just as fast, Zat's unleashing a blaze of electrical power that was supposedly beyond their normal capabilities. Blasts that could melt metal.

Belldandy was quick to remind them that she was not that. Her staff weapon spat out powerful retribution as she wadded into their midst, striking any Agent that came within range of her. She was as methodical as one of them, and as vicious as Jaffa.

Speaking of those warriors...

----

The transporter deposited the group of humans outside the residence in the back, taking in their surroundings quickly.

Archer pulled his communicator out again. "Gaia, where the Agents?" he demanded.

_"They're in the front of the residence! Better hurry!'_

O'Neill shrugged. "When in Rome...lead the way."  
Immediately, they started running for the front, not knowing that they were going to meet someone who was not of the Earth...or any Earth for that matter.

Qui-Gon bounded up the last steps, his lightsaber out, its familiar weight comforting. He didn't know what he was going to find, but he knew that it wouldn't be good.

Wouldn't be good, he quickly realized, was an understatement.

Several of those peculiarly dressed gentle beings were standing right in front of the residence's door, obviously guarding the way in.

Qui-Gon stopped for a second, then started walking forward purposefully.

The lead Agent looked at him. "Who are you?" he asked.

"I am a representative of the Galactic Republic and the Jedi Order. I need to speak to the people inside."  
"Did you say...Jedi?"  
Qui-Gon hid his confusion. "Yes."  
"The dead Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn," the Agent said, putting the pieces together. "Do we destroy him?"  
"Yes. He is still only human." Another Agent gestured. "Kill him."

Qui-Gon's lightsaber activated, it's forest green blade glowing even in the sunlight. Bringing it up, he readied himself.

And Archer and his little group chose that moment to come into view, Archer's phase pistol and Teal'c's Zat already out.

"Howdy, folks!" O'Neill called out exuberantly. "Sorry for the short notice, but we were caught in traffic."

The lead Agent observed them for a second. "SG-1, and Captain Archer." He nodded. "Subjects for termination."  
"Oh, now there's the whole termination thing." The colonel grimaced, like he had a bad taste in his mouth. "Really folks, you could be a little more original."  
Teal'c glared at them. "O'Neill, they are servants to a powerful alien being."  
"You know of Sakar?" Mary asked, surprised.

The Agents stepped forward. "Remember; no one leaves alive. Take them."

Seconds later, the sound of fighting could be heard by any and all walkers, as the two sides collided in an explosion of violence. Damn those action movies!

Belldandy ducked as another Zat blast flew overhead, slamming into the wall at the far side. While she couldn't die from them, even when they were jacked up, she could still feel the effects of one. And she liked all of her faculties intact, thank you very much.

Neptune blasted several of them with a Deep Submerge attack, then kicked a third one when he got too close. "Belldandy, we need to get out of here!" she shouted.

"I'm very much aware of that!" Belldandy retorted. "But that door's the only way in or out!"  
"Then how did you get in? Or do I even want to know?"  
"I'll finish the explanation later!" Keiichi shouted over the noise. "Belldandy, they have a small army out there!"  
The sound of fighting outside quickly made itself known, and Belldandy smirked. "There _was_ a small army." She looked at Neptune. "Shall we?" she asked.

Neptune grinned. "Let's." She leaped, her fist coming up to catch an Agent in an uppercut.

Working together, with Keiichi and Skuld hiding behind the couch, the two females began forcing the enemy into hiding. Then they started advancing forward, forcing them out of the residence. Not a difficult thing for such enclosed areas.

It was when they had pushed them outside that the real fun started.

O'Neill ducked under an overhead swing, his own fist coming forward to hit his opponent in the stomach. He laced his hands together, clubbing him in the back. He finished up with a knee to the chin, blow that would have finished off a Jaffa.

His opponent, however, proved to be more formidable than even Teal'c, as he came up with an uppercut. O'Neill soon knew what it felt like to fly without a plane...if only for a short period of time. Then he hit a tree, his jaw feeling like it had been temporarily compressed by a vice. Looking up, he saw the Agent approaching, leaping up.

A forest green blade made itself present, stabbing through the Agent's chest, the power of the blade cauterizing the wound immediately upon removal. The Agent fell forward, dead before he hit the ground, as Qui-Gon's lightsaber had punctured his heart.

Qui-Gon immediately turned around, his lightsaber moving like an extension of himself...only to collide with an electrical blade of similar design. Surprised, the Jedi Master only stared at his newest opponent.

The Agent didn't smile or anything. "We are prepared to fight anyone and anything, Jedi," he said matter of factly. "Now, kindly die...again." He whirled around in a corkscrew, blade crackling through the air. Qui-Gon quickly blocked, his own blade slamming against it quickly.

Mary, who had moved back, suddenly lunged forward, making a run for the residence. Inside, she could hear the sounds of battle, but she hoped that she could get through.

That thought lasted until a hand latched itself onto her arm, and pulled back. Mary flew back, rolling on the ground. She looked up to see the Agent pick up her little bag, and throw it away.

And in that moment, she realized that she couldn't hide what she was anymore. She didn't have a choice, really.

Archer fired again, catching another in the arm, saw Teal'c fire his weapon twice, before turning his attention to yet another one. He saw Carter go toe to toe with a third one, holding her own rather well, though she was really trying not to get hit.

Belldandy appeared from inside, forcing the Agents back with energy blasts before stepping away from the door. Next person out the door was a female in one of the weirdest costumes Archer had ever seen.

Urd leaped over the lot of them, kicking two Agents in the face as she ran for the building, lightning crackling up and down her arm. She shot a bolt at one Agent, sending him into a fit of spasms as she blew by.

Two more appeared, hitting her full in the face with beefed up Zat's, which jolted her badly. She dropped to the ground, spasming uncontrollably for a second before laying there, panting.

Mary stood up slowly, observing the Agent for a second, then at her purse. She smiled slightly, feeling calmer than she had in a long time. She shifted a bit, adjusting her stance a fraction as the Agent brought her electrical blade up.

And the purse opened by itself.

Qui- Gon blocked again and again, every ounce of training that he possessed being applied to staying alive. He was amazed by the skill and sheer physical strength his opponent possessed. It was time for a change in strategy. His form of combat, the Ataro form, which called for an acrobatic approach to swordfighting. It also called for a bit of dumb luck.

Suddenly relaxing, he moved to the right, throwing the Agent off of his game. While the Agent staggered, the Jedi Master brought the butt of his lightsaber down hard, using the Force to strengthen his blow, on top of his head, sending him into la-la land. With him out of the way, he turned his attention to others.

Mary waited as the Agent charged forward, obviously thinking that she was easy prey, then bent her knees... and leaped upward, over the Agent's head.

And a cylinder shaped object flew from the little bag, heading over to her.

Landing, Mary caught the object, then activated it, igniting a sky blue blade. That same blade slipped through the Agent's head, burning his inner organs like they were paper.

And just like that, all fighting stopped, as the Agent's all turned as one, staring at the woman.

Qui-Gon looked at her for a second, nodding once.

Archer and the others stared at her in surprise. There, standing in a dress from a bygone era, wielding a blade similar to the robed one's, stood Mary Darling, looking utterly calm and collected, like she had fought with that blade before.

That proved true when she smoothly cut off an Agent's arm when he got too close, whirling around to stab him through the side. She blocked an overhead strike from behind, then brought her hand up, forcing him back through some sort of ability.

Qui-Gon's eyes widened in surprise. The young woman was a _Jedi Knight_!

O'Neill blinked, getting back to his feet. "Well, that was new."  
"Indeed," Teal'c replied, not stopping with his fighting.

Mary stepped in front of the door, lightsaber up. "If you want the two people in there, you will have to go through me."  
The remaining conscious Agents got ready to attack. Archer brought his pistol up. O'Neill and SG-1 joined Mary, as did Qui-Gon. Keiichi and Skuld quietly made their way out of the house, hoping to sneak into the woods.

And they all disappeared in a blinding white flash.

----

Trip shot out of his seat, staring at the screen. "Will someone please tell what that is?" he demanded.

What he was talking about was a vessel that had suddenly emerged into normal space. It was unlike any vessel he, or anyone on board, had ever seen before.

Potter looked at the screen, the only exception to the rule. "That's an Asgard mothership," she whispered. "But what's it doing here? The Asgard don't reveal themselves unless necessary!"  
Jackson cleared his throat. "Umm, we made contact with them a couple of months back," he replied. "They helped us save a planet."

"Oh."

"So they're good guys?" Mayweather asked.

Potter nodded, grinning from ear to ear. "They're good guys." She frowned. "And they just transported your captain and the others up to their ship."  
Wheeler frowned. "Now why did they do that?"

----

Qui-Gon looked around in surprise for a second, lightsaber posed as he took in his new surroundings.

O'Neill looked at him. "Oh, for crying out loud," he muttered. "You can put that... thing away."

"How do you know?" Archer demanded.

"Because we know this species," Teal'c replied.

Archer looked around. "Then where's the crew?"  
"Greetings."

The whole lot of them, with the exception of SG-1, jumped, though Qui-Gon was able to make it unnoticeable, at the sound of the voice. It was even, with very little inflection or change in tone. They all looked behind them.

A gray, tiny alien was behind them, sitting in a large, ornate chair. It reminded Archer of the old television shows of the Twentieth Century, with the big, bulging eyes, the stick thin arms and legs, and the small mouth.

O'Neill clapped his hands together. "Thor, buddy! Nice save there."

The small alien nodded once. "I saw that you were in some distress, so I transported you aboard my ship." He looked out of his viewscreen, taking in the sight of _Enterprise_. "I was unaware that your people had inter-space capable craft," he said, a hint of surprise making it's presence felt. "Or energy blades similar to the Sunak's."  
Mary nodded once, deactivating. "It is a long story, sir." She pointed at Archer. "And, technically, Earth doesn't. That ship is from another reality."  
Archer stepped forward. "I'm Captain Jonathan Archer. I'm the commanding officer of _Enterprise._"  
Thor nodded. "I am Thor, Supreme Commander of the Asgard fleet. I came here in response to a call from a General Hammond. I personally came in response to it, as well as a certain curiosity as to why the Sunak would attack your world."  
Mary sighed. "It's a long story, sir, and one that is... out of this world."

"Of that, young lady, I have no doubt."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Receiving an IDO signal!" The soldier in front of the master computer looked up as someone finished dialing in. "It's Master Bre'tac!"

Hammond nodded, having expected this. "Open the Iris!"

The Iris opened up, curling back until it was nestled inside the Stargate's structure, revealing the rippling blue pool of a stable wormhole.

Then, an elderly Jaffa emerged from that wormhole, staff weapon in hand.

In most worlds, elderly people usually retired in comfort, especially after a life of service to someone. However, for a Jaffa, it usually meant that they retire from being a full time soldier. They never retire from fighting. Not entirely.

And Bra'tac...he had never retired, period. He had just found a new cause to fight for.

Hammond quickly made his way down to the gate room, entering it almost a minute later. "Master Bra'tac. Glad you could make it."  
The former First Prime of Apophis bowed, as he usually did when meeting with friends. "Hammond of Texas," he replied. "I received your message." He turned around when he heard the Stargate suddenly start spinning again. "Are you expecting anyone else?"  
"The Tok'ra." Hammond stood by as the Stargate opened once again. "Jacob Carter's the liaison between them and the United States."  
"So, you have met them, then. That is a good sign. I have met them as well."

As he said this, the gate opened again. Another man stepped through, looking around for a second before walking down the ramp. "George," he said in greeting.

"Jacob." Hammond shook his hand. "I want you to meet Master Bre'tac, Teal'c's teacher. Bra'tac, this is Jacob Carter, Sam's father."

Bre'tac held his hand up. "It is an honor to meet you, Jacob Carter."

Jacob clasped the Jaffa warrior's arm. "Pleasure to meet you as well. The Tok'ra have heard of your resistance against Apophis. Definitely refreshing."

"It is good to know that you approve."

Hammond let the two get acquainted, before gesturing at the door. "We better head for the briefing room. Thor and the others are probably waiting for us by now."

"Lead the way."

----

Archer looked out the big window, staring at the Stargate in amazement. Never before in his life had he seen such a device. "And this...is how you explore the galaxy?" he asked.

Carter nodded, smiling. "It was built by an ancient race millions of years ago."  
"Called the Ancients," Potter said, grinning at Carter's dumbfounded expression. "Oh, come on, they didn't build them alone. My people helped them create the blue prints for those things. We even went a step further, creating Stargates that can punch through other dimensions, and also, much larger Stargates."  
Jackson looked at her. "But...isn't that impossible?"  
Potter looked at him. "Yeah, hello. I'm part of a race of immortal beings. We have eternity to work on these things."

O'Neill stared at her. "And you don't call yourselves gods," he stated. "You see, I don't get that."  
"It's because of that fact that I don't have a bloody ego. And I don't flaunt my superiority like a Goa'uld mother fucker."

Wheeler winced. "Nice phrasing."  
Even O'Neill was impressed, as he didn't press the issue any longer.

Thor observed Qui-Gon's lightsaber, checking it from all angles. "A most impressive, and efficient weapon," he said. "The Sunak's energy weapons are nowhere near as powerful."  
Qui-Gon nodded. "A single energy crystal, housed inside the handle, creates the blade itself. If one constructs it correctly, a lightsaber can last a lifetime."

"A fascinating achievement." The small alien returned the device to him before turning his attention to the rest of the room. "Where is General Hammond?"

"Right here." Hammond walked into the briefing room, Jacob and Bra'tac behind him. "Thor, this is Jacob Carter and Master Bre'tac of Chulak."  
Bre'tac bowed. "It is an honor to meet you, Thor."  
Jacob nodded once in acknowledgement. "Me, too. Sam's told me all about what you did for that one world."

Thor nodded once, somehow conveying his appreciation. "As your daughter has told me of your own fights against the Goa'uld."

The aging Jaffa master, clasped hands with Teal'c, before turning his attention to the others. "And who are they?" he asked.

Quickly, introductions were made all around, Bre'tac nodding once with each greeting. He could inquire later as to how a craft like _Enterprise_ could exist at this time.

Neptune shifted a bit, feeling out of place. There were those Starfleet people, the military, those Jedi Knights, and the Goddesses. She was the only Sailor Senshi here. Not a good feeling.

Hammond sat down in the center at the end of the table. "Now, the majority of you are here because of the Sunak, and this other threat. Teal'c has informed me that his name is Sakar."

"We've met," Archer replied dryly. "Mrs. Potter? If you could..."

Potter stood up. "Well, the Jaffa are partially correct where the Death Dealer is concerned. He is an alien being. But he is much more than that." She stared at Wheeler and Linka. "Sakar is so ancient, that he makes the Ancients look young by comparison. I believe Yggdrasil considered him the prototype for the Spirit System that held for almost six billion years. Am I right, Peorth?"  
Peorth nodded. "Sakar's world was much like this world almost nine hundred million years ago. Then Sakar simply lost it almost five millennium ago. He launched an all out attack on his own civilization, making them his slaves, then started a massive rampage across the universe, destroying spirit after spirit, and adding their power to his own. About two thousand years ago, he destroyed the Sunak home world, almost destroying their people as he did so. However, instead of dying out, they began making plans.

"After two years of wandering, they ran into several races that had suffered the same fate, all who were on the verge of giving up. The Sunak contacted them, offering to make an alliance with them. Ten years later, they created the Sunak Confederation, and began expanding...rapidly."  
Jacob nodded. "Through Sel'mac, I know a few things about them. Chief among them is the fact that the Goa'uld generally steer clear of them. So do the Tok'ra, for that matter."  
"As do the Asgard," Thor added. "Whenever we are in this galaxy, we avoid their city ships. Their advancement in technological ability is...disturbing, to say the least."  
Archer leaned in. "That technological advancement has apparently been for one purpose, and one purpose only; the destruction of Sakar, and all other spirits. They've apparently targeted this Earth for that reason."

O'Neill groaned. "Oh, for crying out loud, you're telling us that we've been targeted by an all powerful being who fancies himself a god, and wants to destroy us. And we're being told this by a group of all powerful beings, three of them calling themselves gods, and the other one calling herself a 'Guardian.' I mean, what's the deal with that?"  
Skuld jumped up. "Hey, at least we don't act like a dumb, paranoid, b-"  
"Skuld!" Belldandy stated sternly. "Colonel O'Neill has every right to be paranoid, so please don't insult him." She turned to Hammond. "For clarification purposes, for us, the Goddess system is our ranking system. For example, First Class makes me equal in rank to you, General. Second Class is roughly parallel to Captain Carter and Anderson. Third Class is a Commander."  
Hammond looked at her. "I'll take your word for it." He straightened up. "Now brings us to the next piece of business. Captain Archer needs repairs done to his ship. And you need to use our Stargate...an interplanetary one, which isn't designed for the type of communication that you want to send."  
Potter grinned. "You let me use it, and I'll show you what makes it unique."  
For a second, the room was silent. Then, Hammond sighed. "Alright, Mrs. Potter," he said. "I hope you know what you're doing."  
"Hey, you didn't blow up the Stargate. So a little inter-dimensional communication is going to be relatively easy on it."

----

Mary observed the Stargate from the briefing room almost ten minutes after the meeting had ended, thinking about the past, of everyone she had left behind when she had stepped through the device. She wondered how Yoda was doing, if he had finally become a Jedi Master.

"There is something on your mind, Mrs. Darling."  
Startled, the young woman turned to stare at Qui-Gon in surprise. "Am I making that much of a disturbance in the Force?" she asked.

Qui-Gon smiled gently. "Actually, I don't need to use the Force to feel your intrigue." His smile faded. "How is it that you're a Jedi Knight? I would have heard of someone matching your description from the Jedi Council."

Mary frowned. She would have thought that someone would have told him about the details of her leaving. "It is..."

"...a long story," the Jedi Master finished. "Yes, I know that feeling all too well."  
Mary sighed. "I'm Mary Sara of Naboo. I became a Jedi Knight almost fourteen years ago, but I left three months later..." She trailed off as Qui-Gon turned to spear her with a sharp gaze. "What?"

Qui-Gon observed her for a second. "Mary Sara disappeared almost nine hundred years ago. She was the first of the Lost Twenty."

"What!" Now Mary was in shock. Nine Hundred _years_? "But...that's impossible! That means everyone I knew...is dead."  
"Well, not everyone. Master Yoda is still alive, and head of the Jedi Order."

"Oh. Hold on, he is the head the of the Jedi?" she whistled. "I would never have thought that possible." She started giggling. "Does he still start his sentences in the middle, and end them at the beginning?"  
"Yes, and he still hasn't grown an inch."  
"He was two feet when he was selected as a Padawan learner," Mary reminisced, smiling at the reminder. "All the other apprentices liked to rib him on that."  
"And you?"  
The lost Jedi smiled. "I was his first friend. Because of that, he became one of the better Jedi Knights of my era. He had one ambition; to serve the Republic to the best of his ability. How long has he been on the Council?" she asked.

The Jedi Master thought long and hard for a second. "Almost as long as I can remember. I have been a Jedi Knight for almost ten years. The first thing I saw was Master Yoda. I was trained by the last of the Lost Twenty, Count Dooku." His gaze darkened. "He left because he thought that the Jedi had become too complacent."  
"Be mindful of your thoughts. They betray you."  
"As I wish it to be."  
Mary was surprised. "If you were trained by Yoda, then you should know that it isn't a good idea to betray your thoughts."  
Qui-Gon sighed. "The Jedi Council and I were never on the best of terms. I was...a bit rebellious, for their tastes. For that reason, I never sat on the Council."

"Because you agreed with this Dooku fellow?"  
"Not on the level that he did, but yes. The Republic has become a corrupt shadow of it's former self. The Jedi have become too mired by politics to be effective. In fact, the last I heard, they had just had a vote of no-confidence for Chancellor Valorum." He looked out at the Stargate. "I wonder who was elected."

Mary shrugged. "Whoever was, I hope they're up to the challenge of governing the Republic."

* * *

Potter finished writing out what address she wanted dialing, then showed it to Carter. "This is what I want you to dial up," she said. "It's the address for Zion."  
Carter took a look at the piece of paper, eyes narrowing for a second. "We're going to have to put this into our database before it can be used." She looked at the Guardian. "Are you sure that this is going to work?" she asked.

Potter sighed. "Captain, for the last time, yes! Now stop asking the same question five times already."

Carter was struck dumb for a second, before nodding her head sheepishly. She had asked that question five times, because she still had a hard time grasping the implications. She understood traveling from world to world, but to other dimensions? It required a whole new level of physics that no one would be able to figure out for the next thousand years.

Quickly sitting down in front of the computer, she went through the procedure that she went through when they returned with the addresses from the Pyramid on Abidos. Since then, no one had had a need to.

Feeding the address into the computer, she waited for the processing to be completed, then pressed the controls to dial. "Here we go," she said quietly, looking over at Hammond, who nodded once, letting her know that he would take full responsibility for this.

The usual dialing procedure began, as power began transferring to the Stargate. The chevrons clicked into place as the electrical impulses that made that happen were fed into the device. The Stargate opened in it's usual flair.

Carter blinked. "Wormhole established," she reported in surprise.

"Of course." Potter didn't move for a second, then said, "Potter to Zion High Command. Alania, do you copy?"  
For a second. silence reigned, and then...

_"This is Alania. Lily, how long did it take you to convince General Hammond that their Stargate could do this?"_

"As long as it took me to convince them that I'm not their enemy. Alania, I've learned that you had a word with Sub-Commander T-Pol."

_"And Angemon, AND Angewomon. Let me tell you, it's tiring to do that. So, talk to me."_

Hammond's mouth quirked a bit in amusement. This Alania sounded more like a radio talk show host than a leader. He exchanged an amused glance with Neptune, who was giggling into her hand, while Bre'tac and Teal'c looked confused.

Potter grinned for a second, before sobering up. "Not all of the Sailor Scouts were sent to Lunar. Apparently, Sailor Neptune awoke a few weeks beforehand, undetected by both the Sunak and Sakar. I have also made contact with Qui-Gon Jinn, and Mary Sara of the Jedi Order."  
_"What!_ _Lily, Qui-Gon Jinn died at the hands of the Zabrak Darth Maul. And Mary Sara disappeared from the Republic almost nine hundred Republic years ago! Wanna explain to me how that's all possible?"_ Alania asked, not even pausing to take a breath.

Lily took a breath of her own. "How Qui-Gon was resurrected, I don't know. As for Mary, she went through the Stargate to this Earth, almost a hundred years ago. She's now here, due to a temporal imbalance of some kind that transported her, her family, and Peter Pan himself into this day and age."

_"Yoda's going to have a field day with this. People popping up all over the place. Oh, before I forget. General Hammond, you're going to want to send your crackerjack Doctor Fraiser through the gate to Lunar after this briefing. One of the Scouts has been poisoned with a virus, and is dying. They'll need her help with developing a cure."_

Hammond was struck dumb, then decided to flow with it. Walking over to the phone, he picked it up, activating the intercom. "Doctor Fraiser, please report to the Control Room immediately." He hung up, before turning his attention back to the gate. "Ma'am, will you be able to send any reinforcements to help us?"

_"Not immediately. Like you, I've got arrogant maniacs to contend with. But I've been alive long enough to know how to deal with them. Just...make sure to be ready for battle. Alania out." _With that, the Stargate shut down.

O'Neill blinked. "Well, that sucks in the encouragement department."  
"No shit." Potter stood up, then pulled out a sheet of paper. "Captain, this is every Stargate address in the Guardian Protectorate. Could you please put them into the computer?"

Carter nodded, then started the process all over again...

* * *

Fraiser entered the Control Room, looking rather confused. "General?"

Hammond looked at her. "We have a slight problem. Now, if what Mrs. Potter has said is true, then you need to head to a parallel reality called...'Lunar', right?"  
"Right," Potter replied, not taking her eyes off the screen.

Fraiser nodded. "Alright, what's the emergency?"  
"Apparently, one of our missing Sailor Scouts has been infected with some kind of virus. They need your expertise in this matter."  
"Oh." Fraiser looked at the Stargate for a second. "I'll be ready to leave in a few minutes then."

"Good. And good luck, Janet."

About five minutes later, Doctor Fraiser stepped through the Stargate on her way to Lunar...

...and returned almost fifteen minutes later, looking rather pleased with herself.

Hammond blinked once, a little surprised. "Doctor, you're back rather early," he said.

Fraiser looked at him. "I've been gone for almost two weeks, General."  
"Potter?"  
Potter shrugged. "Existence time drag," she replied. "Realms don't move at the same speed, General. They have this funny habit of doing that. Time in one realm might move faster than another, or slower. In fact, time might actually stop for a while altogether."

Hammond nodded once, not really understanding. Way beyond his capabilities to know.

Carter shook her head once, understanding only slightly. "Wouldn't time run at the same pace everywhere?" she asked.

"Yeah. And Voldemort will become a Democrat."

"What happened to him?"  
Potter grinned. "He's an immaterial spirit at this particular moment. Don't know where, but he's out of the picture…for now." She frowned. "How the hell do you know of him?"  
"Would you believe me if I said I've seen him in my dreams?"  
"Dreamscape," Potter grumbled.

"Haven't been there since I was thirteen. I sometimes wonder how Molly is doing."

"Oh, I'm sure she's doing okay."

Hammond looked at Carter. "What on Earth are you two talking about?"  
The Guardian grinned. "Trust me, it's another one of those things that is out of this world..." she paused, considering her words. "And in," she amended quickly, enjoying Hammond's confusion.

Carter grinned, trying not to laugh.

* * *

Gaia observed the Planet Vision. "This isn't good," she muttered.

Wendy nodded, still staring out into nowhere. "What in the world is Mother? How did she do that?"

Peter looked up. "You're asking me? I don't even know what's going on!"

"None of us do," Laura reassured him. "And for the record, Wendy, I think your Mom's a Jedi Knight."  
Wendy's eyes asked the question she couldn't voice. _'What was a Jedi Knight?'_

"A Jedi's sort of like a magician," George said. "They're the peacekeepers of a far flung confederation of people from... another place."

Every member of the Darling family turned as one to stare at their father, who had a resigned expression on his face. "Excuse us, Father?" John asked.

Cubby stared at him. "Father, what are you talking about?"  
"You knew!" Wendy added, irate. "You knew this whole time!"

Several things started floating in the air at this outburst. Gaia grabbed one of the chairs to bring it down to Terra Firma. "Wendy, calm down already! Your parents probably had good reason for not telling you! And I don't want my stuff being sent into the atmosphere!"

Wendy started breathing in and out, bringing her temper under control. Now was not the time to lose it. But she had just found out the reason why Sakar wanted her dead. It wasn't because of her association with Peter.

It was because she had powers that she had never known about. Powers that her mother, her _brothers_, possessed.

Powers her own father had known about.

George walked over to her. "Wendy, I'm sorry about keeping this from you, but your mother didn't want you to know, for whatever reason."

"And you didn't think the three of us had a right to know?" Michael asked.

"Then why target only Wendy?" Clash asked. "There's got to be some reason."

"I can tell you."  
Wendy jumped, turning around. "Mother!"

Mary was standing in the door, Archer and the others behind her. Her gaze was saddened, having heard everything. "Wendy, did you and your two brother feel something earlier? A bad feeling that you felt was real?"

Wendy nodded, surprised. "Yes...what are we, Mother?"

Mary sighed, gesturing for her biological children to take a seat. "It's a long story, Wendy. And it would be best if I start with who I really am." She took a breath. "For starters, I wasn't born in London. I was not even born on Earth. I was born on a planet called Naboo."

Archer nodded for the others to vacate the premise quickly. This was a conversation that was best kept in the family.

* * *

Sakar glared at the report. "Are you sure?" he asked.

Smith nodded. "She and Jedi Knight Mary Sara are one and the same. And it appears that her gift has been passed on to her children."  
"Damn." The Death Dealer waved his hand, shutting the screen off. "And no doubt Potter has made contact with Alania, obtaining a full report from her superiors." He slammed a fist into his chair, cracking the armrest. "Smith, I place you in charge of all operations on Earth. I am returning to the home world to oversee the final stages of construction."  
Smith bowed. "I will not fail, Milord."  
"See that you don't."

Planet landed, looking rather vexed. "I arrive there, and there's nothing!" he exclaimed. "What the...?" He trailed off as he saw those he was supposed to go help sitting in the Crystal Chamber, having a conversation. A very important one by the looks of it.

Wheeler looked up. "Hey, Cap. What took you so long?"  
Planet shook his head. "Next time, don't bother telling me to go." He turned his attention to Gaia. "What happened?"  
Gaia grinned. "They had some help from someone called Thor."  
"The Norse God of Thunder?"  
"Of a sort," Archer replied. "He's head of the Asgard forces."  
"They're aliens," Kwame added unnecessarily.

"Okay, okay." The warrior spirit held up his hand in surrender. "So, what're you all talking about?"  
Qui-Gon looked up. "Well, Mister Planet, we are trying to determine the best way to defend... 'Earth.'"

"And...you are?"

"I am Qui-Gon Jinn. I am a Jedi Knight."  
Planet was silent for a second. "Oh. Nice to meet you." He pulled Gi aside. "You ever hear of Je-di?"

Gi grinned. "They _were_ an imaginary form of warrior. Not anymore, apparently." Her grin grew at his befuddled expression. "I'll let you watch _Star Wars_ later."

"Thanks."

Archer grinned, before turning back to the situation at hand. "Alright, with two ship's now in orbit, we can start patrolling the Solar System more thoroughly, see if we can't find any hidden Sunak listening outposts."

Trip frowned. "Uh, Cap'n, do ya remember that we're not at full fighting strength?"

"Do you see any other options open to us?"

"Well, how about we ask our new Goddess friends to help us repair our ship?"

Potter glared at him. "There's also me," she reminded him all-too-sweetly.

Trip started, then dropped his head, embarrassed. "Sorry. Still can't get it through my head that you're..."

"I'm still human, Commander. It's easy to forget. In fact, that's the entire point. Most Guardians do have jobs outside protecting Existence." She grinned. "Mine was building classic ships, and a few of those were warp capable."

Archer nodded. "Then you and Trip can coordinate. Zephyer?" He turned to their now Telazian guest. "How would you like to see our warp engines?"  
Zephyer smiled uneasily. "I would. But I didn't think that you would want me to."

Trip got up. "Well, our engines are fried, anyways. What're you gonna do to them?"

"Good point."

Archer nodded. "Then get back up to the ship. I'll join you soon."

"Understood, sir. I'm guessing SG-1's up there, already."

"You guessed right. Captain Carter's apparently had some experience with working with faster than light technology, so she volunteered to help."

Zephyer stretched his arms. "Well, then, shall we?"

* * *

"The scans were wrong."

Trip stared at the Air Force officer, barely able to believe what he was hearing. "How the hell could you tell?" he demanded.

Carter showed him a hand held scanner. "Well, I did a physical examination of the equipment in question, and while I don't recognize most of the components, I do know when something is out of alignment. Then I asked one of your engineers to use one of these, and scan the equipment." She pointed to the open panel. "This was the only thing she found that was damaged...deliberately."  
Trip moved to the panel in question, peering in. "That's the circuitry needed to balance the antimatter flow's. We can repair most of this with no problem. What I wanna know, is who could make our diagnostics program give out false readings?"  
Potter stood still for a second. "Someone whose invisible, and aboard this ship." She looked around. "Has anyone besides those of us here been onboard _Enterprise_?"

"No."

Potter nodded, then closed her eyes, holding her staff in front of her. It started glowing faintly as she started searching the entirety of the ship, looking for anything that was out of the ordinary.

Teal'c observed her for a second. "What is it that you are doing, Lily Potter?" he inquired.

Potter didn't open her eyes. "Searching for someone who isn't supposed to be here." She opened her eyes. "Commander Tucker, do you know anyone onboard who has a natural ability to shroud themselves?"  
Trip put two and two together, running for the near comm channel. "Tucker to the bridge, we have a Suliban onboard _Enterprise_!"

Zephyer and Teal'c looked at each other, nodded, then walked out Engineering.

Archer looked at Reed. "Malcolm."  
Malcolm nodded, then got up. "All security and Mako personnel, begin sweeping the ship for any Suliban activity. We have a stowaway."  
Archer had a pretty good idea which Suliban it was.

----

Carter left Trip to repair the circuitry, and stepped outside to see Zephyer and Teal'c nodding. "You two have a plan?" she asked.

Teal'c held up his Zat'Nik'Tel. "They will require everyone who is able to scour this ship for this Suliban. We will stay here and watch Engineering."  
Carter nodded. "I'll help with the search." Pulling her pistol out, she started down the hallway. She didn't know what she was going to do if she found the guy, but she wasn't going to be caught unprepared.

Qui-Gon and Neptune fell into step next to her. "I assume that you're also looking for the stowaway." Carter nodded. "Then I might be of some assistance in this matter."

"Assistance? How?" Carter asked.

"My knowledge of the Force can help me detect any disturbances that might appear. I might be able to locate this Suliban if I'm in close proximity to him, or her."

"And I'm more than capable to taking him out if he becomes too much of a problem," Neptune threw in  
Carter nodded. "I'll take whatever I can get right now. Let's go." She started down the corridor again, pistol up, Qui-Gon right behind her.

----

Silik quickly slithered down the Jeffries tube, knowing that they were now looking for him, and cursing his bad luck. They were searching for him. He could elude them for a long time, but sooner or later, they'd catch him.

Archer was that kind of captain.

And these newcomers seemed like the kind who could find a needle in a haystack if they had enough incentive to do so. And they had more than enough incentive.

His final orders from his leader from the future had given him orders to disable the warp drive of _Enterprise_ at a certain point of the mission, preferably after the Xindi Weapon had been destroyed. Unfortunately, their new change in realities threw a monkey wrench in those orders, so he simply disabled their engines after their fight with the _Crusher_. He wanted to keep them in orbit of the planet until they found a way back to their home, but that other ship had shown up, and he knew, he _knew_, that Archer was going to defend this world.

Again, Archer was that kind of captain.

Entering the cargo bay, he started making his way for the door, knowing that it would be easier to evade capture there than it was in a confined space. He knew every hiding spot that there was on the ship, after all, having extensively studied the ship's schematics.

As he started down the corridor, he made sure to keep his eyes open at all times, so as not to be caught off guard.

It was a good idea. A sound idea. And had he known anything about Jedi, he would have known that his idea wouldn't have done any good.

As he turned the corner, a forest green flame suddenly appeared out of nowhere, stopping within an inch of his face. Surprised, he stepped back, looking the owner of that blade in the face.

Qui-Gon smiled pleasantly, while Carter leveled her pistol at the Suliban. On his other side, Neptune simply brought her hand up, water slowly collecting in her palm. "Perhaps it would do you good to surrender," he suggested. "That way, we'll avoid any...unpleasantness."

Silik, who had made it his business to make quick decisions, made a quick decision.

He raised his arms, surrendering.

----

"_Carter to O'Neill." _

O'Neill stopped in his tracks, grabbing the communicator he had borrowed. "This is he."  
"_Sir, we've caught the stowaway."_

"Good. Don't ya think you should be telling Archer about this?"  
"_Oh...right, sir. Carter out."_

* * *

Jacob looked around the Crystal Chamber. "If I didn't know better," he said, "I would have thought that this was something the Tok'ra would have built."

Belldandy smiled. "It's more advanced, too."

"We will go with that," Linka said from the other side of the room, her spear whirling around like it were helicopter blades. It certainly had the toned down feeling of helicopter blades whirling. Even the sound it made was pretty damn close.

Gi got up. "Actually, those controls can be used as well. Linka found them about five months ago, and spent that long figuring out how to install them."

Skuld turned around. "Hey, those are Ancient controls! I don't see them anywhere except in museums."  
"Ancients?" Ma-Ti echoed.

Wheeler grinned. "Ancients were the builders of the Stargates. They were the first civilization of Earth, almost nine million years ago."

"Nine million years!" Kwame sputtered for a second. "Why have we not found any remains? Fossils?"  
Katie sighed. "Kwame, nine _million_ years ago. We wouldn't find anything after that time. What happened to them anyways, Bro?" she asked.

"They left," Wheeler replied, going through various motions, obviously a sort of warm up that none of them were familiar. "They packed up their city, Atlantis, and high tailed it to the Pegasus Galaxy."

"Now why would they do that?" Cubby asked.

"Maybe," Wendy replied, frowning, "because they were running from something."

Mary sighed. "Wendy, I did not want you to worry about my mistakes."  
"The problem is that you are _not_ worrying about your mistakes, Mother. Did you ever think that they'll come back to get you? Or the rest of the family?"

George sighed as well. Wendy has always appreciated honesty above all else. Probably because of the fact that she couldn't tell a lie herself.

Peter landed next to her. "Don't worry, Wendy. I think her mistakes aren't going to come after her a long time."

Ma-Ti kept quiet.

* * *

Sakar waited until the majority of his servants had left, then activated a very special holographic system.

Several seconds, a cloaked figure, who wasn't Sidious himself, appeared. "_What is it?"_ he asked, clearly irritated.

The Agent standing next to Sakar spoke up. "Your game has ended. The war will be over, as we dare not move against the Guardians."  
"_Sakar, I don't want this sniveling coward in my sight again!"_

Sakar's power erupted, disintegrating the Agent before he could say anything else. "Don't worry, I don't want someone who speaks out of turn."  
The shadow didn't smile. "_This turn of events is unfortunate. We must accelerate our plans. Begin mobilizing your troops for invasion."_

"Is that possible, Milord?" Sakar asked.

"_I will make it possible!"_

"And Potter?"

"_Alania should have never brought her into this. Kill her when you get the chance, alongside Fire and Wind!"_

Sakar bowed. "As you wish." He turned on his heel, leaving the comfortable confines of his quarters.

Soon, the Guardians would fall. And then Existence itself.

It was inevitable.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

Silik looked up as the door to the brig slid open, admitting Archer and that energy blade wielding warrior. He smirked a little, knowing where this was going to go. "Well, Captain, it appears that you're not too happy to see me. I don't know why."

Archer was understandably angry. After everything that he and his crew had gone through, his temper was on an extremely fine line. "You tried to sabotage my ship. Why?"

Silik didn't move a muscle. "Now why would I tell you an answer that you already know?" he asked in reply. "Come now, Jonathan. I thought you were more intelligent."

Qui-Gon simply stared at him. "He asked you a question. Please answer it."

The Suliban looked at him, then at Archer. "My benefactor gave me specific orders to disable your warp drive after you destroyed the Xindi weapon. But then, I heard that you were going to help this planet, so I decided to keep you in orbit." He observed him passively. "And it would be better if you completed your original mission instead of trying to help here."

Archer's finger jabbed the brig door controls to open it, then stepped inside, grabbing Silik by his shirt , and slamming him into the wall. "Your boss doesn't have authority over what we do!" he snarled. "I have half a mind to kick your ass right here and now!"

"But if you do, then you won't get any information from me."

Archer paused, looking over at Qui-Gon. Qui-Gon nodded, stepping in as well. Archer backed off, turning to nod at the two security officers, before stepping out. "If he somehow manages to overpower Qui-Gon, shoot him."  
"Yes, sir," one of guards replied.

Satisfied, Archer walked out of the brig, while Qui-Gon sat down across from Silik, and began to question him.

* * *

Wheeler strolled into the Crystal Chamber, observing the hive of activity that it had become for a moment before turning to Belldandy. "I'm taking a lucky guess here," he said casually, "but I'd say that our reinforcements from Yggdrasil have arrived."  
Belldandy smiled. "They have."  
Indeed, almost three dozen god and goddess technicians were busy installing equipment, creating a makeshift command center in the room. Several technicians were at the control board, busily scanning the planet for Agent or Sunak activity. Peorth and Urd were busy talking to Athena about the Network's deployment in the major cities.

Skuld and Keiichi were talking to Gi and Kwame about the various methods of transportation that the Planeteers possessed. A topic that the two females and Keiichi were enjoying considerably, while Kwame's eyes acquired that glazed look.

Wheeler knew that all over the island, Yggdrasil technicians were erecting defenses to challenge the inevitable invasion. And they only had a week left before it happened.

Sloane walked over to her son, grinning from ear to ear. "You know, we never had this much help when I was the only Wind Planeteer."

Katie giggled. "Mom, when you were the only Wind Planeteer, there was no need."  
Gaia chuckled as well. "It would have been nice, though," she said. "That way, I wouldn't have been the only one watching your backs every time you went out."

Wheeler nodded, then looked around again. "Where's Ma-Ti and Laura?" he asked.

Planet grinned. "We told them to go relax. They're taking it to heart, if you'll pardon the pun."

Wheeler sighed. Why was everyone so obsessed with Ma-Ti's and Laura's love life? On second thought, he didn't want to know. It didn't seem like a good idea to ask for details.

Athena turned in Wheeler's direction, smiling. "Wheeler Sloane, it's an honor to meet you."  
Wheeler bowed. "Lady Athena, a pleasure to finally meet you in person." He nodded. "You've already met my mother. She's the older Wind Planeteer."

"Yes, we've met." The goddess looked around. "I've noticed that Linka isn't here."  
"Training," Wheeler replied quickly. "Her instructor can be a tad…overzealous sometimes."

Sloane laughed. "Understatement of the century."

* * *

Laura sighed, enjoying the feel of her boyfriend's hands on her skin. "How'd you become so good at massaging?" she asked drowsily.

After Mary and the others had returned, safe and sound, Ma-Ti had gone to Laura and suggested a back rub, having sensed the tension in her from the last week. Laura had suggested that he give her a full blown massage. She enjoyed a moment of hilarity at the look on Ma-Ti's face, before he had agreed, a silly smile on his face. And then Planet had told them to go relax, with cinched it rather handily.

As such, she was presently clad in only her panties, lying on her stomach and halfway to dreamland.

Ma-Ti grinned, moving over Laura's bare back, slowly rubbing the taut muscles, feeling them relax under his ministrations, then moved to her thighs. He was blushing a bit, but that was easily overlooked, as she wasn't watching him. "One of the many talents that I have." He worked his way down to her feet, slowly rubbing her soles. "I'm not using my ring."

"You're not?"  
"No. I prefer to use only my hands, love. It seems to be very effective."  
Another sigh escaped her lips. "Well, I love what you're doing," she said, aroused by the attention he was putting into her. "Please don't stop."

Ma-Ti's grin grew for a second, happy that she was enjoying this. He was enjoying it immensely as well, though he didn't let her know. It wasn't something he didn't want to telegraph to the world.

After a moment, though, his smile faded, and when he finished up the massage, he stood up, and walked over to the window, gaze distant.

Laura opened her eyes at the loss of contact, turning her head a bit. "Ma-Ti?"

"I'm fine."

The young woman turned her head as far as it would go, looking at him over her shoulder. She saw the tension in his body, taking a guess what he was thinking about. "You're not a very good liar," she said. When silence greeted her, she sat up, seeing that he was staring out the window. "Ma-Ti?"

Ma-Ti didn't turn around, though his head drooped a bit. "I am…concerned, Laura."

"About what?"  
"Well…" he struggled for a moment, then sighed in exasperation. "About…about everything. Sakar, the Sunak, all that's happened over the last week…my feelings."

"Your feelings?" Laura got up, walking over to him. "About what?"  
Ma-Ti didn't turn, though he did hear her approaching. He didn't turn around because he would have started staring, and wouldn't have kept his mind on the conversation. "About you," he replied quietly. "I do not understand them anymore."

Laura stepped up behind him, then stepped to the side so she wasn't in front of the window, very much aware of the fact that she was almost nude. She brought her hand to the side of his face, gently forcing him to look at her, observing how the fading light caught Ma-Ti-s tan skin just right. "And what are your feelings for me?" she asked gently, gazing into his eyes. "Please don't shut me out."

Ma-Ti closed his eyes for a second. "I…"

Laura stepped a little closer, looking down for a second, seeing Ma-Ti shift slightly, as if in discomfort. Idly, she ran her finger up the bare skin of his exposed forearm, feeling the muscles clench at her touch. "Ma-Ti, do you…want me?" she asked, amazed.

The Heart Planeteer didn't trust himself to speak, so he simply nodded. He was nervous as hell. Laura's proximity to him, and the fact that she was only in her underwear, was wreaking havoc on his senses.

Laura's smile grew a little as she leaned forward. "You could have me," she whispered seductively into his ear.

Ma-Ti jumped in surprise. "W-what?" he stammered, keeping his gaze on her face only through that surprise. "H-have y-you?"

Laura giggled. "Yes, have me. I love you…and I want to prove it to you." She brushed a stray hair back off his forehead. "If you'll let me," she added gently.

Ma-Ti was at a loss for words, as no words could convey what was in his heart, so he did the only thing he could do to express himself to the fullest.

He dragged the almost nude woman into his arms, crushing her against his chest, and began to kiss her passionately.

After a moment, Laura began to return the kiss with equal fervor, the action causing her bosom to rub slightly against his cloth covered chest. She waited until he had opened his mouth, then slipped her tongue in, entwining with his. She slipped his vest off, tossing it aside. She quickly went for his shirt, tugging at it impatiently. Pulling back, Ma-Ti pulled it off himself, before he looked at her. "You're so beautiful," he whispered, cupping her breasts, the nipples hardening as he ran his thumbs over them. He kept it up, enjoying the moans emanating from Laura. He brought his mouth down onto one of them, giving it special attention for a moment, before turning his attention to the other.

Laura laced her fingers into his hair, holding him there. Sensations that she had never felt before were coursing through her veins. Vaguely, she decided that reading about true love was nothing compared to experiencing it firsthand. But she wanted to take this further, so she pulled him back to her lips, capturing his lips in another passionate kiss, pouring everything she could into it. She felt Ma-Ti's hands at her waist, and broke off the kiss, letting him pull her panties off of her. Stepping out of them, she felt him plant a kiss on her core, and shuddered from the sensation, pulling her hair out of it's ponytail.

Ma-Ti returned to an upright position, and picked Laura up, cradling her in his arms, before taking her back over to the bed and laying her down on it. For a second afterwards, his gaze swept over her naked body, taking in everything.

Laura smiled. "Aren't you a little overdressed, love?" she asked.

Quickly, Ma-Ti removed the rest of his clothing, then set himself on the bed next to her. Running a hand down her body, he began planting kisses down the front of her body, planting a kiss on each of her breasts, before proceeding lower, swiftly moving across her stomach, before planting kisses on the insides of her thighs. Laura grunted, impatient. "Ma-Ti…" she growled passionately.

Grinning, the young man began running his tongue across her aching core, moving slowly. She writhed, her hips held in place by his hands while he lapped at her most sensitive spot.

Ma-Ti sensed that she was at the brink, and stopped what he was doing. Looking up, he saw her staring at him lustfully, eyes glittering darkly. "Laura, what do you want?" he asked quietly.

"You! Inside me! Please!" Laura pulled him forward, feeling him rub against her after a moment, and moaned. She watched as he adjusted himself above her, then thrust forward, impaling himself into her. They both gasped at the sensation of being joined.

Then, slowly, Ma-Ti began to move, pulling out and thrusting back in, taking his time, waiting for a sign that this was hurting her. However, the moans coming out of her were of pleasure, not pain, and he smiled, eyes dark with desire.

Laura soon wrapped her legs around him as she started to move as well, tripling the pleasure they were both feeling. Laura's hands scraped across Ma-Ti's back, while Ma-Ti dropped to suckle one of breasts for a moment, before returning to her lips.

After a few moments, they started to move faster, the pleasure increasing further. Finally, Ma-Ti arched forward, and Laura gasped, their climaxes shooting through them in a mad rush of pleasure, as they joined, body, mind, and soul.

Though neither one of them that they had joined in mind.

Though neither one knew that events were now in motion that they couldn't even fathom.

* * *

Qui-Gon stepped into the Captain's Ready Room, waiting patiently until Archer's head went up before speaking. "Apparently, your temporal Cold War is over. Silik had been informed by his contact that someone was manipulating the entirety of this Guardian Protectorate."

Archer was understandably surprised, and intrigued. "So, he was trying to make sure that we completed our mission."

"Unfortunately, that portal you went through destroyed that chance."

"Not necessarily." Archer got up. "While you were interrogating Silik, Potter made another call to Zion. Alania is going to send a ship to stop the Xindi from destroying our Earth, and possibly to start talks between us." He shook his head. "I don't know how they're going to do that."

Qui-Gon smiled. "I assume that beings who can do anything will find a way."

"I just hope that it doesn't involve them killing anybody."  
"That is my fondest hope."

* * *

Linka staggered into the hut, though it was with a satisfied expression on her face. Wheeler grinned. "Getting used to the training regimen?" he asked.

Linka grinned, plopping down and grabbing a sandwich. "After the initial start, it is actually enjoyable…in a sadistic sort of way."  
Peter plopped down next to them, now wearing a loose pair of pants and a shirt. At their inquiring looks, he shrugged. "The leaves were starting to itch," was all he had to say on the matter.

"Ah." Wheeler leaned back. "You missed quite a bit."  
"So I see." Linka finished off the first sandwich. "I wonder if the Guardians must eat a great deal, or if it is because of all of the training I am going through."

"It's because of all of the training that you're going through," Potter replied, settling herself in a chair and grabbing one of the sandwiches. "Don't worry about it. You're learning very fast. Most trainees would have had to go through all of that again. You're ready to go through the advanced forms now."

Linka grinned wearily. "Well, that sounds so much better."

Potter grinned. "Don't worry about it, just yet. I'm giving you a few days of peace before that happens."

Wheeler looked around. "I wonder where Ma-Ti is. He missed dinner…so did Laura, for that matter."

"Still relaxing," Peter replied, shifting a bit. "I almost walked in on them before Wendy reminded me to knock first."  
Wheeler had a pretty good idea what Peter had almost walked in on. "Good thing you did."

Linka agreed, having had the same thought.

* * *

Keiichi sat down, staring at Belldandy. "You've been helping this…network, for years?" he asked, surprised.

Belldandy nodded. "Before I met you, I was working there full time. When I granted your wish, Athena made a change in the roster so I could spend more time on Earth, fulfilling my contract obligations, while still being on call should Sakar ever attack. As the only goddess to have beaten him, I have to be ready for him."

Skuld stared at her older sister for a second. "But you're not doing this alone anymore."

"I know…but this is out of even my league. Because every time I think about Sakar, I get the feeling that Sakar isn't really the only problem." Belldandy sighed. "Keiichi, I'm afraid that my own hatred for Sakar will get everyone killed, or worse."  
"Hatred?" Keiichi looked at her. "Belldandy, you're one of the most cheerful people I know. How can you _hate_ someone?"  
"It has something to do with me, doesn't it?"

Belldandy turned around to see Sloane standing at the door, her gaze knowing. The goddess nodded. "I'm afraid so." She took a breath. "I was the one who found you in that alleyway eleven years ago."

Sloane nodded. "Understandable. Facing an opponent like Sakar tends to burn it into your soul. But don't let your hatred blind you. There was nothing you could have done to stop it."

"I know. It's just…"

"There is no 'just!' You understand what you hate. Now you must conquer that hatred in order to be free of it!"

Skuld jumped a bit at Sloane's sharp tone. She sounded like a drill instructor to her struggling student.

Belldandy looked at her. "And if it was you, and if you had stumbled across someone lying in the street, what would you have done?" she asked quietly.

Sloane stared at her. "I would have done as I was trained," she replied. "I wouldn't hold onto my hatred." She pushed herself off of the wall, and walked out of the room.

Belldandy watched her go. "But I didn't have your training."

* * *

O'Neill tugged his hat on. "So, we're going to help them. General?" he asked rhetorically.

Hammond nodded. "Your orders are pretty obvious. The President expressed concerns about this, but something more dangerous than the Goa'uld has to be dealt with immediately. Senator Kimsi wants a deal to be struck with Captain Archer about the exchange of technology."  
Jackson leaned against the door, staring in disbelief. "And what would humans from the future, and from a parallel reality want or need?"

"I brought that point up with him, but he was adamant, saying that this was a chance to better prepare ourselves against the Goa'uld." Hammond sighed. "Jack, I'm not going to order you to do this. It's a request. If Captain Archer agrees…"  
"Understood, sir." He turned around. "Teal'c?"  
Teal'c nodded. "Master Bra'tac is ready, O'Neill."  
"Carter?"  
Carter smiled. "Dad's been ready, sir. He's outside already, talking to Ensign Mayweather."

O'Neill nodded. "Well, let's go, then. Space awaits! General, hold my calls." He started on his way to the elevator shaft, the rest of SG-1 right behind him.

Hammond shook his head in amusement. O'Neill was a character. That was for damn sure.

* * *

Laura slowly stretched, enjoying the feeling of her leg muscles as they moved. She ached in certain places, but it was a reminder of the pleasure she had shared with her beloved. Shivering a bit, she snuggled a little more under the sheet that now covered the two of them.

A hand slowly ran up her back, reminding her that someone was still in the bed with her. Turning her head, she stared into a set of hazel brown eyes.

Ma-Ti smiled. "Hey there," he said quietly.

Laura returned the smile. "Hey, yourself." She started tracing his chest with a finger. "You know, for a first time, you were incredible."  
The Heart Planeteer chuckled. "Well, Wheeler had purchased a certain book about several months ago, just in case, he said. He saw fit to let me borrow it after he was done reading it." He gently grabbed Laura's hand, kissing it lightly. "As such, I am remarkably educated on the subject. What about you?"  
"You jealous?"  
"No, merely curious."

"Well…" Laura bit her lip, thinking it over. "Let's just say that I'm not a blushing virgin." She watched Ma-Ti carefully. "When I was nineteen, one of the guys invited me over to a party. Non-alcoholic, mind you. Well, one thing led to another, and…well…"

Ma-Ti frowned. "Did you…?" The rest of his inquiry didn't need to be finished  
Laura sighed, a small flash of disappointment making it's presence felt. "My blood type is such, that I can't become pregnant, so it's rather pointless of me to worry about birth control. The guy used protection, also, on the extremely slim chance that it did happen."  
"A fling?"

"A fling," Laura replied. "We were in it for the sexual release, and nothing but. Eventually, he started dating someone, and left for California." She placed her head on his chest, feeling his heartbeat. "I gained plenty of experience, though."  
Ma-Ti smiled, while his hand went higher, traveling into Laura's hair, combing his fingers through the reddish strands. "Well, you have been well trained." He propped himself on one elbow. "What else did you learn?" he asked.

Laura's smile became wicked, and she let her hand drift down to his waist. "Let me show you…"

* * *

Wendy looked up. "So Father and Aunt Millicent knew that you were a…Je-di, all this time. What about all of your good manners?"  
"Part of my training," Mary replied. "A Jedi must be courteous at all times. Even to your enemies."

"Seems like a colossal waste of time." Peter checked his swords blade, making sure it was sharp before putting it back in it's sheath. "If your enemy is out to kill you, they're not going make small chat with you."  
George grimaced. "You'd be surprised. This Republic sounds like a kingdom, where everyone talks gently, then kills each other."  
"That sounds about right," Wendy groused. "And I thought my stories were incredible."

Mary nodded, then got up. "I made this before I left, hoping to tell you about your heritage, Wendy, but Aunt Millicent wouldn't allow it. She didn't want you to follow in your mother's footsteps, and go on some bleeding crusade." She pulled her weapon out, then another one, handing it to her daughter.

Wendy took it, confused. "Mother, what is this called? I know you have one with you."  
Mary smiled. "A lightsaber. It is a Jedi's weapon." She gestured. "Press that button there." Wendy did so, then started in surprise when a blue sky blade erupted upward, becoming an energy blade. "Not as clumsy or inaccurate as a projectile weapon. It's an elegant weapon…for a more civilized day and age."

Wendy moved the blade around, watching as it moved through the air. It was a lot like a sword, she saw, but lighter. '_The only physical aspect of the weapon is the handle,'_ she thought in amazement.

"When the Republic first formed, the Jedi Knights formed into a unified force under the leadership of Jedi Master Jarod Husah. And, from what Master Qui-Gon has told me, they have been the guardians of peace and prosperity in it for over a thousand years." Mary's face darkened. "But ever since we came here, I've felt the darkening clouds inside the Force."  
"The Force?" John echoed.

The mother smiled, beckoning her three biological children closer. When they were better situated, she sighed. "The Force is an energy force within all living things. It surrounds us, penetrates us, and helps maintain balance...apparently throughout Existence." She observed Wendy. "However, what makes the Jedi who they are, are little life forms called midi chlorians."

"Midi...chlorians?" Michael echoed. "You mean, they live inside of us?"

"Well, yes, actually. It is through them that Jedi are able to use the Force."  
Wendy smiled. "That's pretty interesting...if I had ever had a science class and knew about these things."

"It wasn't necessary back in our own time," Millicent stated archly.

A muscle twitched in Wendy's jaw. "I think it should have been _Mother's_ decision what was necessary for my education," she retorted, just as archly. "Not you, Aunt Millicent."

The middle aged woman started, then smiled slightly. "Excellent point."

John kept his attention on his mother. "So, what do we do, then?" he asked.

"Perhaps I can be of some assistance to this matter."

Wendy turned to see Qui-Gon standing at the doorway, observing them with a casual expression on his face. "What assistance?" she asked.

Qui-Gon gestured, "Wendy, may I speak to you...alone?"

Confused, Wendy got up, and walked out of the room.

* * *

Neptune stretched her arms out, breathing in the cool night air as she did so. She hadn't been able to sleep, so she had decided to take a stroll down the beach. She hoped that it would be sufficient to help clear her mind.

Unfortunately, she was no closer to figuring out her new situation than she was three hours before. She was, quite literally, without a clue as to what her next move was going to be.

Turning her head, she saw the large number of tents that were situated near the jungle forest. She was told that they were refugees from an apartment building in Wheeler's hometown. Knowing this was yet another hint that she was out of her league here.

"You have something on your mind?"  
Neptune turned around, seeing Clash standing at the edge of the water, observing the ripples. "Yes. A great many something's, in fact." She sat down, hands clasping her knees. "Sakar represents everything that I'm fighting, but he's much more merciless than any single monster I have ever faced. And with what he did to Wheeler and Katie's family..."

Clash nodded. "How do you know Wheeler?"

"She knows us," Katie replied, walking up, "because her mother was the old Planeteer of Water when we were children. She used to visit us until Wheeler turned eight, then she moved back to Tokyo." She smiled. "Michelle here could make pictures that would put Leonardo to shame."  
Neptune blushed. "I wasn't that good," she muttered, looking pleased nevertheless.

Clash nodded, grinning. "Look, I've gotta send a report to my group. I'll leave you two to catch up." With that, he walked in the direction of his helicopter.

Katie grinned. "So, Michelle, how's life as a Sailor Scout?' she asked.

Neptune smiled slightly. "It leaves something to be desired...like a partner."

"I have no doubt. Didja meet the others?"

"I haven't had a chance to. I activated almost two weeks before they...vanished."

Katie nodded, remembering that little detail as well. The Scouts were known only by their exploits outside of Japan. Inside, they were legendary.

Neptune turned, looking at the refugees. "Those poor people. I wish there was some way to help them."

"I wished there was some way, too...but it's all in the hands of the Planeteers." Katie paused for a second. "And you."

"Thanks for that vote of confidence."

* * *

Wendy walked alongside Qui-Gon, staring at him. "You want to _train _me?" she repeated, surprised. "But I'm sure that they have some rule that prevents you from doing that."

Qui-Gon smiled gently. "Well, why not? You are strong in the Force, stronger than even your mother or siblings. And this won't be the first time I've defied the Jedi Council's rules about age."

"Age difference? You mean, you don't train anyone who wasn't raised in that Temple? And you have defied the Council?"  
"There was one boy, who I had found in the Outer Rim Territories, who was extremely powerful in the Force. So powerful in fact, that I couldn't ignore it. I brought him to be tested, though it was against the Jedi Code. Other than that, yes, we don't train anyone unless they were raised in the Temple." The Jedi Master paused for a moment in recollection. "That young man had no father, which led me to believe that he was conceived by the midi-chlorians in his mother. Other than him, I have never felt a surge in the Force coming from anyone else...except you."

"He had no father? Then he's probably a messiah, like Jesus."  
"Well, I don't know who this Jesus is, but basically, yes."  
Wendy nodded. "Then why train me?"

Qui-Gon sighed. "Because of the fact that Jedi Prophecy isn't absolute. Anakin Skywalker could just as easily turn to the Dark Side as he is capable of destroying it forever. Also, someone from the future brought you here from your time to destroy you. I believe it may be your connections to both your mother and Peter that have put you in danger."

"What about my brothers?"

"Well, let's get you trained first, then worry about your brothers. They haven't been targeted. You have."  
Wendy hesitated, then nodded. "That's a good point...but I'm not sure. I mean, a proper lady doesn't learn how to fight. She is calm and courteous."  
"That's your Aunt Millicent talking."

"Oh, my Aunt," she grumbled. "I am starting to sound like her."  
"Every generation of behavior can still be useful in creating the person. Your instruction under your Aunt has made you courteous and proper, but you still allow yourself the capacity of change. Your instruction to become a Jedi Knight will not only make you a great warrior, but also to add on that capacity." Qui-Gon grinned at her indecisive expression. "Wendy, you'll get to do something that most women from your era never had a choice to do. You could learn mathematics, science, combat skills. Advantages that will make you better prepared for this day and age."  
Wendy looked at him. "And what about Peter?" she asked. "I do have feelings for him. I do want to try and have a relationship with him."  
"The Jedi frown upon that...but I don't see any problems if you want to...'hook up' with him, if I understand my slang correctly." The grin grew. "The Jedi Council and I have never really seen eye to eye on many of the old traditions."  
"I have no doubt. Could you give me some time to think about it?"

"Certainly. Take as much time as you need. But, for now, go back to the huts, and think about it. You can give me your answer tomorrow."  
Wendy smiled more decisively. "Thank you." With that, she made her way back to the huts.

Qui-Gon's smile faded, and he turned to gaze at the ocean for a moment, deep in thought. If he listened hard enough, he could almost hear his old Padawan warn him that the Council wouldn't approve of this.

But then again, Qui-Gon didn't know if he could make contact with the Jedi Council. And Wendy did need to be trained. And he hadn't lied when he said that he and the Council never really saw eye to eye.

His mind full of conflict, he made his way back towards the huts, where he would meditate on it. The living Force had always given him sound advice before.

He only hoped it would be sufficient.

* * *

Reed frowned as he read the sensor grid. _'That can't be right,'_ he thought. "Bridge to Captain Archer."

_"Go ahead, Malcolm," _Archer's voice replied.

"Sir...I think you're going to want to see this."  
_"I'm on my way."_

Now Reed kept staring at the grid. "Why would anyone want to attack there?" he asked himself.

* * *

Wheeler stood patiently at the door, until it opened, showing Ma-Ti. "Wheeler?" he mumbled in surprise.

"Is Laura here?"  
Laura stepped into view, wearing one of Ma-Ti's shirts. "Yeah, I'm here. What's going on?"  
Wheeler sighed. He didn't like being the bearer of bad news, but it couldn't be helped. "You two had better get dressed. Yellowstone Park's been attacked."

That woke Ma-Ti up. "We will be there in ten minutes."  
Wheeler nodded, then walked away.

* * *

At the far corner of the universe, a structure stood.

It was massive, the size of a small moon. Thousands of ships were swarming around it, putting the finishing touches on it for their lords and masters.

Half of those ships were Goa'uld.

The other half were the property of Sakar.

All of them were part of the Deadly Alliance.

The meeting inside was nearly as impressive.

"Until this battle station is fully operational, we are vulnerable!" Hathor exclaimed, observing the others around the conference table. "The Tauri are too well equipped. They are more dangerous than you realize."

One of the Agents sitting on the other side of the table snorted. "Dangerous to the Goa'uld System Lords, maybe. Not to our master Sakar."  
"They will continue to gain support from Timelord Akalon-!"  
"Timelord Akalon is no longer the threat he once was," a new voice interjected. "I have just received word from our benefactor that he is no longer in a position to do anything to maintain the balance." Everyone at the table turned to see Sakar enter the room, Sokor right behind him. "The last line of defense for the balance is now forced to fight for his life against us. The last remnants of the old destiny lines have been swept away."  
Apophis gaped at him in surprise. "Impossible. How can anyone have the ability to break the Timelord's control?"

When Sakar, and the mysterious being from the future had approached the Goa'uld with the proposal of alliance, they had added the condition that all Goa'uld were part of this. As such, the System Lords were at their largest, and most unified form, for the first time in five thousand years.

And the creature responsible smiled at the question. "The manipulations that our fellow members in the Deadly Alliance, have forced him to prioritize. We...are unopposed as of this moment."

"And what of Earth?" Cronos asked. "If the SGC learns of this battle station's existence, it is possible, however unlikely, that they will find a weakness, and exploit it."  
Sokor looked up. "The Tauri do not have the technological power to destroy this station."

"And any attack made on this station would a futile gesture of defiance, no matter what they discover," one of the Agents declared. "This is now the ultimate technological power in the universe." He turned to his lord. "I suggest we use it, Milord."

Sokor observed him, his eyes glowing briefly. "Do not be so proud of this technological terror you've constructed. The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant, next to controlling life itself."

_"Enough!"_

Everyone turned to Sakar. He stared at them all, observing their passion and finding it to his liking. "This discussion is pointless. Now, our friends will deliver the Xindi Weapon to us by the time this station is operational." He stood up. "We will then crush our enemies in one swift stroke."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Jack looked out the window, watching the ground underneath them vanish behind the clouds. "So, your spaceship can go all _Star Trek,_ pilot?"

Mayweather looked at him in confusion. "Sir?"  
Daniel leaned in. "What Jack's asking is if you have warp technology. Phasers, Photon Torpedoes. That sort of thing."

"Well, we have phase cannons and Photonic Torpedoes. Our ship's protected by polarizing the hull plating, creating an energy field about a meter from the hull. And we have a max speed of Warp Five."  
Sam nodded once to herself. "Colonel, they'll need at least twenty more years before they develop shields, and the phasers that the _Star Trek _universe is famous for."  
"Oh." Jack settled back in his seat. "Okay. So, you ever fish?"

Mayweather turned around. "Is he always like this?" he asked.

"For the majority of his time," Teal'c replied.

"Ah." The young ensign turned back to his controls, concentrating on his piloting.

_Archer to Shuttlepod Two."_

"Yes, sir?"  
_"You're not returning to the ship at this time," _Archer informed him. _"Turn around, and head for Yellowstone. The Planeteers will meet you there."  
_"Aye, sir." Travis turned to look at Jack in confusion. "What's in Yellowstone?"

O'Neill shrugged. "Carter?"

"Well, there's the park, and-"  
"The cattle ranches," Daniel finished, realization setting in.

Travis quickly wrenched his controls, bringing the shuttlepod around. Whatever happened, it didn't sound good.

* * *

Drey'auc watched her son R'yac go through a series of moves that Master Bra'tac had taught him before he had went to the Tau'ri, feeling a swell of pride go through her. Though still a boy, he was showing some his father's more admirable traits already. Grace, for instance. That and discipline in his movements. And he possessed his father's will, and certainty in the righteousness of his cause.

A combination that would get R'yac far in life against the oppression of the Goa'uld.

For now, though, he was free, and enjoying his life for once. Well, as much as he could. He wanted to be a great warrior, and hence kept up with his practices.

The wife of Teal'c observed turned her gaze to the land around her. The land that she could see, anyways. The Land of Light was separated a permanent border between light and dark, right down their Prime Meridian. On one side, perpetual darkness. On the other side, a beautiful land, with a golden sun shining down. The perfect hiding spot, and the perfect place to raise her son. "R'yac, it is time to eat!" she called out.

R'yac started back up to her, a large grin on his face. "Mother, did you see that?"  
"I most certainly did. Your father will be proud of you when he sees you again." Drey'auc hugged him close. "But even warriors need food. Come. I will even tell you another story of the great child warrior."

R'yac nodded, walking alongside her. He always did enjoy those stories.

And because of the fact they were watching the sky, they both could see the next set of events that occurred.

Before they had taken a dozen steps, the clouds began to part, revealing a very familiar shape. A shape that Drey'auc had hoped to never see here, cloaking them in shadow.

A Goa'uld mother ship was descending downward.

Drey'auc immediately turned to stare at her son, putting a Tau'ri identification signal in his hand. "R'yac, head for the Stargate! You must inform your father that the Goa'uld are here!"  
R'yac nodded. "Mother..."

"I will be fine, my son. Go!"

R'yac immediately started running for the terminus, while Drey'auc immediately began running for the city.

----

A series of rings, the Goa'uld transporter technology, descended to the planet surface. Once there, it beamed something down.

A group of Jaffa warriors, all bearing different tattoo's, materialized on the light side of the planet. A typical patrol of warriors, sent to intimidate a planet's population. They also protected the Goa'uld they serve.

The woman in the center of them, however, was no Goa'uld.

She was decked in gold armor, designed along the lines of ancient Amazonian warriors. Knee high boots adorned her legs, and a gold helmet. But the most telling part of her ensemble were a set of bracelets locked on her wrists.

She was the most feared being in the galaxy next to Sakar, though she once was it's most beloved hero.

She was Sailor Galaxia.

The most powerful Senshi in the universe looked around, taking in the land around her. She turned around, and saw a small form vanish into the darkness. "You and you," she said, pointing at two of them. "The child is heading for the portal. Stop him. The rest of you, come with me. We'll capture the mother. Move out."

"By your command." The Jaffa bowed, then started moving in two opposite directions, the majority of them heading for the city. The other two made their way to the dark zone of the planet.

* * *

Laura got out of the Geo Cruiser, quickly followed by Ma-Ti and the other Planeteers. "Oh my god," she murmured, as Ma-Ti stared in shock at the carnage.

Wheeler looked around. "The damage here consisted of a full fledged assault with energy weapons. Agents?"

"_Nyet._ This is too destructive. Perhaps the Sunak?"

Zephyer shook his head. "This isn't standard for my people. Why go after ranchers first, then destroy the rest of the planet?"  
"Do we really have to answer that?" Planet muttered.

Qui-Gon walked forward. "And yet there are discarded weapons belonging to the Sunak. All evidence points to it."  
"All the visible evidence, yes." Potter walked forward. "It's the evidence that you can't see that tells us who's responsible for this." She pointed at the footsteps. "These tracks are side by side, and are numerous. Sunak warriors always walk single file to hide their numbers. And the Agents always work in tandems of three."

"These were the closest neighbors to my dad," Laura said.

Wheeler walked up. "If the Sunak didn't do this, who did?"  
"Well, look at this." She pointed to the burnt wood. "These blast points are too accurate for even Sunak snipers. Only Jaffa troopers under Cronos's control are so precise."

"The Goa'uld?" Kwame looked around. "Those aliens who use humans as hosts?"  
Potter nodded. "I can't fully understand it."

Gi shook her head. "This is terrible. These people weren't a threat to them."

"Like that matters to them," Wheeler grumbled. "The Goa'uld think they're gods. And because of that, they think they can do anything they want."  
"But still, why would the Goa'uld want to slaughter ranchers?" Ma-Ti asked.

Neptune picked up some dirt, sifting it through her fingers. "This was done ten minutes before we realized that something had happened. So the only question left is Ma-Ti's."  
"Maybe something happened," Belldandy suggested. "What happened last night?"

"Well, I had my conversation with Wendy," Qui-Gon replied.

"I had finished training for the night," Linka added.

"Ma-Ti gave me a massage and..." Laura went quiet as something processed.

Ma-Ti, it seemed, had the same brilliant stroke of genius. "They were spying on us."

Potter turned around. "Beg your pardon?"

"Last night, one thing led to another, and..." Laura looked up. "They must have been known something of that nature would happen, and that would lead them...home!" She and Ma-Ti made a run for the Geo Cruiser.

"Wait, Laura! Ma-Ti!" Qui-Gon shouted. "It's too dangerous!"

The two of them didn't either hear him, or ignored him, because they both got into the jet. Ma-Ti activated the thrusters, taking off immediately.

Wheeler watched them go. "I'm sorry to say that they're going to be too late."

"Unfortunately." Belldandy pulled out her cell phone, dialing a number. "Ex, get a team down here. We need to prepare the sites for the forensic team the park official's send."

"Let's have the SGC doctors acquire one of the corpses," Qui-Gon suggested. "This falls under their jurisdiction."  
"Good idea. Cancel that, Ex. Have the team prepare to transfer the bodies to Cheyenne Mountain immediately. Then send a message to the park rangers, letting them know that an investigation is underway."  
"_You got it, Belldandy...what happened?"_

Belldandy looked at the carnage. "An act of war," she replied, feeling the hatred begin make it's presence felt.

* * *

Galaxia waited patiently in the native's primary hall, waiting for the Jaffa to return. She observed her surroundings, approving of the design. She didn't want to stay here any longer than necessary, though. She wanted to find the boy she had lost all those years ago.

As she brooded over the past, the Jaffa entered the hall, Teal'c's wife being dragged with them. She turned to stare at her. "At last."

Drey'auc returned her glare. "Galaxia. Only you would be so bold. My husband will learn of this. And when he does-"  
"Don't bother trying to threaten me, Drey'auc," Galaxia interrupted. "The Jaffa do not terrify me. Your stories, however, have peaked my curiosity. We both know that the place you speak of in your stories is real. I want to know how to enter it."  
Drey'auc kept her face blank. "I do not know what you are talking about. My husband sent me here because he wanted his son safe. Nothing more, nothing else. I am still Jaffa."  
"You are an ally to the human race and a traitor to the Goa'uld!" She looked at her troops. "Take her away!" She stormed out of the building, while they prepared for transport.

A Goa'uld hurried to catch up with Galaxia. "Holding her is extremely dangerous in these times. If word of this were to reach certain ears, it could generate sympathy for the Jaffa among the Guardians."  
"She is the only one who knows the coordinates to the land I want. I want those coordinates."

"She will die before she gives up the one you search for." The Goa'uld shook his head. "The wife of Teal'c is as strong in mind as the traitor."

"Leave that to me. Return to the mother ship, and alert the System Lords that we have Drey'auc in custody." She stopped when the two Jaffa she had sent to capture the boy. "Did you acquire the boy?"

The two bowed. "We were unable to," one of them replied. "He made it through the chaapi'ai."

"Probably to the humans." Galaxia shook her head. "_Enterprise_ will come then." She looked up. "We'll return to the ship, and head for the rendezvous point. No one will be able to stop us."

Almost six minutes later, the Goa'uld vessel broke orbit of the planet, entering hyperspace as they did so.

* * *

Ma-Ti landed the Cruiser in front of the Talbot residence. Keeping the engine hot, he opened the cockpit door, getting out.

Laura immediately jumped out as well, running for the house. Ma-Ti quickly brought his ring up. "Mister Talbot!" he shouted, looking for human movement. Seeing none, he came to the conclusion that either Mister Talbot was either unconscious...

...or dead.

Neither option was good. The latter was worse.

"Dad!" Laura yelled at the top of her lungs. "Come on, please tell me you're okay!" She ran for the burning remains of the house. "Dad!"  
"Laura!" The young woman turned to see Ma-Ti looking at her. "I found him...but you're not going to want to see...what's left of him."

Laura pushed by him, running past him, heading for the barn. Once there, she sucked in a breath. "No..."

There, smoldering in a heap of burning rubble, was the body of her father.

Laura's leg's buckled, and she fell to her knees, falling into a state of shock, tears falling from her eyes. She felt the stinging of the smoke from the fire, but it didn't really process.

Ma-Ti leaned down next to her, hugging her. "I am sorry, Laura."  
His soothing voice brought her out of her stupor, and she turned to look at him. "This wasn't your fault, Ma-Ti. It's the Goa'uld's." She looked at her father's body. "And I won't rest until I find the Jaffa who fired the weapon, and have him brought in for justice."

Ma-Ti nodded. "I will help you."

* * *

Drey'auc looked up as the door to her cell opened, admitting Galaxia and two Jaffa. Standing up, she glared at them in defiance.

Galaxia, unperturbed, observed the Jaffa for a second. "And now, Lady Drey'auc, we shall discuss everything you know about the world of youth."

"I will tell you nothing, witch," Drey'auc spat. "So you might as well kill me, now."

The former Golden Senshi grinned. "You don't have a choice in the matter, Jaffa. In fact, how much you cooperate will correspond with how much pain you will not feel." She turned around. "Bring in my probe, Iron Mouse!"

"Yes, Milady!" another female voice shouted from the outside. Several seconds later, a small woman wearing a skin tight Senshi uniform walked in, a device in her hands.

Drey'auc's eyes widened. Galaxia smirked.

The door closed as several Jaffa walked by, staff weapons held loosely in their hands.

* * *

Wheeler watched as the last of the remains were loaded into a military ambulance, to be taken to the SGC for autopsy. Next to him, Jack kept his eyes on the surround. Both of them were thinking very dark thoughts about their enemies.

"What I don't get," Jack suddenly growled, "is that those snakes went after ranchers. People who didn't even know about them."  
Wheeler shook his head. "They did this due to a...personal matter between Ma-Ti and Laura. One that's none of your business."

"Ah." The colonel turned around. "Speak of the devil. Here they come."

Qui-Gon turned around as well. His eyes crimped as he felt the waves of the Force wash over him. "And they have seen something that was not unexpected, but has still hurt them."

"Not a surprise," Linka murmured.

The Geo Cruiser landed, and the side doors opened, allowing Ma-Ti and Laura to exit, both of them looking decidedly sadder.

Potter sighed, putting out the remaining fire throughout the ranches. "There was nothing you could have done, Laura. They would have killed you too."

Laura nodded. "Now I know why the wolves were there. They were protecting me. They saw me as a friend."  
Jacob looked around. "This is hitting a little too close to home."

Linka looked around. "Now the real question is; What do we do now?"

Wheeler answered. "We keep fighting."  
Teal'c nodded. "If we give up now, then these people shall never be avenged."  
"No."

Everyone turned to Laura. "What do you mean?" Sam asked.

"Vengeance will never bring redemption. We have to fight for _justice._" Laura observed the carnage. "If we simply fight for revenge, then we're no better than the Goa'uld."  
"Agreed."

Jack turned. "You guys couldn't stay on Hope Island, could you?"  
Peter shook his head. "My gut told me I had to be here. And Wendy has an answer for you, Master Qui-Gon." He and Wendy touched down.

Daniel was about ready to say something, but his cell phone buzzed at that moment, distracting him. He pulled it out. "Hello?"  
Wendy walked up to Qui-Gon, her head bowed for a second. "I thought about it, and after seeing this through the Planet Vision, I decided...yes." She turned to watch her mother for a second, who was talking to Kwame. "I want to learn the ways of the Force, and become a Jedi like my mother."

Qui-Gon nodded. "I must ask...are you sure? There are as many downsides as there are benefits. You will see many terrible things in your lifetime."

"What could be more terrible than seeing destruction and death?" Wendy asked. "Treachery, sadness, grief. I have seen it all, Master, and it has only strengthened my resolve." She looked at the carnage, her gaze hardening. "Whatever I was to be, the Deadly Alliance has changed that. Now I must chart a new course for myself."  
The Jedi Master smiled, amazed by the strength of her will, her conviction, and her loyalty. The Force flowed strongly through her, but it was nothing compared to her soul. "I think you have already taken the first step into a larger world."  
Daniel shut off the phone. "Guys...things have gotten worse. That was...that was General Hammond. It's about R'yac."  
Teal'c turned around. "What of my son?" he asked.

"He just came through the Stargate...alone."  
"What!" Jack shouted.

* * *

Janet finished her examination of the young Jaffa, before turning to Hammond. "I found nothing wrong with him, aside from the staff weapon blast he took to the shoulder. Is Teal'c on his way back?"  
Hammond nodded. "Captain Archer is on his way down too. Apparently, from what Doctor Jackson told me, the Goa'uld is killing everyone close to any of us. I'm having my grandchildren brought here, and I've sent someone to pick up Cassie from school. Since she already knows about the Stargate, I don't see any trouble bringing her here. Also, Gaia has informed me that she'll be sending the Darling Family here as well."  
Janet nodded. "Better here than in the open." She put her medical tools away. "Sir, with the existence of the Sunak well known, I'd say secrecy of the Stargate Program is moot."  
Hammond nodded. "I just got off the line with the President on that very subject. Colonel Maybourne is on his way, even as we speak."

"Maybourne?" Anderson asked. "I've heard about him from Major Davis. Isn't he some sort of..."  
"...jackass?" Janet finished for him. "Well, yes, actually. But he's also the official representative of the NID, so we have to let him in."

"Then I'll go wait for him at the entrance. Who knows, maybe he doesn't want to be here." The captain made his way to the door.

Hammond observed him for a moment, before looking at R'yac. "Your father will be here in a few minutes, young man. Go to the training room until he gets here, okay?"  
"I shall, General Hammond," R'yac replied.

Janet sighed, straightening her doctor jacket. "I better get ready for that autopsy."

----

The first thought going through Cassandra Fraiser was, _'Oh no, what happened now?'_

She had been on the playground at the school, running around with the other kids, when a military vehicle suddenly roared into the parking lot. One officer had immediately run into the school, while the other one walked over to her, asking for a moment of her time. Once they were out of ear shot, he told her that General Hammond wanted her at the SGC.

Cassie nodded, guessing that it had something to do with the Sunak. As an extra terrestrial herself, she had heard of the Sunak from her biological parents, and had even met one once.

And so here she was, in a jeep, on her way to her foster mother's place of work, with those two officers.

Up to the mountain, through a security checkpoint, and signing in, before going down the elevator, and into the lower parts of the base.

Cassie walked into the base's infirmary, laying eyes on her mother, who looked like she was getting ready for something particularly bad. "Mom?" she called out.

Janet turned around. "Hey, Cassie." She stooped down to give her a hug. "Sorry about pulling you out of school, but General Hammond didn't want you to be out there." She sighed. "Cassie, a lot of people over at Yellowstone Park were...they were killed."

"By the Goa'uld?" Cassie asked.

"Yeah."

"Okay. Anything I can do, then?"

Janet smiled. "Well, the General's grandchildren are going to be here in a few minutes. Maybe you could look over them. Also, go talk to R'yac."  
"R'yac?"

"Teal'c's son. He came through the Stargate."

"Oh. Where is he?"

"In the training room."

Cassie walked out, turning to one of the guards. "Could you tell me where the Training Room is?" she asked.

"Sure, go down this hallway, and turn right. You can't miss it."

"Thanks." The young girl started down the hallway, following the guard's instructions carefully. She owed these people a lot.

And besides, she was curious about Teal'c's son. She hadn't even known he had had a kid.

As she approached the Weight Room, a flash of light appeared in front of her. Jumping back, she got ready to run.

And then she calmed down when she saw what had appeared in front of her...which was a group of boys, and one girl.

One of the boys smiled. "Hello," he said.

"Hi," Cassie replied, a little weirded out. "...Who are you all?"

"I'm Slightly."

"Nibs."

"We're called the Twins. I'm David, and this is Daniel."

"I'm Cubby."

"Tootles."  
"I'm John."

"And I'm Michael."

"I am Tiger Lily."

"Those names...they sound familiar. I must ask my mother about that." Cassie gestured. "Well, let's go in. And don't touch anything once inside!"

Tiger Lily saluted mockingly. "Yes, ma'am."

----

Janet looked at the assembled group. "It was Jaffa weaponry, alright," she said, pulling her gloves off. "These four were hit staff blasts. The other three here were killed by Zats."

Phlox sighed. "The corpses I observed, including Mister Talbot, were murdered by an energy weapon that is different from the two Doctor Fraiser described. Master Bra'tac informed me that this was a Goa'uld hand device, designed to cause anything from shock waves to concentrated energy beams, capable of destroying a person's brain matter. Mister Talbot took both types, frequently."

"They knew who he was," Daniel muttered in surprise. "Those sorry bastards were going after him."

Hammond looked at Archer. Archer nodded, his communicator already out and open. "Reed, have security teams on Hope Island. Scan Ma-Ti's and Laura Talbot's rooms for any cameras."

"_Aye, sir."_

"It still leaves the question of why the Goa'uld would want to kill him." Sam turned to Ma-Ti and Laura. "What exactly happened last night?"

The two stared at her.

Jack grasped what they were getting at. "Carter," he said, "it's what couples do when they're in love, and want to express it."

Sam nodded, abashed. "Okay."

Janet sat down. "They obviously knew more than we're giving them credit for. Something happened when you two...initiated contact procedures."  
Kwame looked at Ma-Ti, then at Laura. "_Gaia, I have a question. Do you sense anything...different about Laura?" _

"_...Yes, I do... I think we've found the next Planeteer of Heart. Laura, I'm sending a ring to you. Put it on, and see if it works."_

Laura nodded in confusion, holding her hand out. The ring in question appeared in her palm. Putting it on, she got up. "Excuse me." She walked out of the infirmary. Almost everyone followed, confused.

Janet grabbed Daniel's hand, stopping him before he went through the door. "Daniel...I don't know how to tell you this..."  
"What?"

"I...I think it was Shay're led the attack."

Daniel looked at her. "Care to repeat that?"

"Or at least, Amonet," Janet conceded. "The point is, I think she's the one who led the attack."

Daniel stared at Janet for a moment. "Are you sure?" She shook her head. "But you can't think of anyone else?"  
Janet sighed. "Daniel, you told Shay're everything about Earth. The names of our national parks, where they were. The Goa'uld have all the genetic knowledge of the mother symbiote, including landmasses. Who else do you think could compare the two and come up with the answer?"

Daniel was silent for a moment, before nodding. "Sounds plausible…unfortunately." He turned back towards the door. "I'll…talk to General Hammond about bringing Shay're's father here with the harsesis child."

Janet nodded. "Probably a good idea. Go." She watched him leave, before turning around, feeling something akin to sympathy go through her.

Daniel was the sweetest, most enthusiastic man she had ever met. He had an extreme curiosity about the ancient past that was unmatched by anyone. And from what he had told her of his time on Abydos, he had a wife who was the most gentle being she had ever heard of.

And then the Goa'uld took her away, implanted one of their own into her, and made her an enemy.

Janet had become very good at hiding her emotions, but her feelings had grown for the young man since the first day she had met him. And it hurt her to see him struggle with himself on the matter.

Making an instant decision, she walked out of the infirmary, walking in the direction of the elevator.

Potter watched as Janet walked out of the Infirmary, a speculative expression on her face. _'I never thought I'd see you again.'_ She started down the hall after her.

----

Jacob got up, shaking his head, wincing a bit. "Okay, I think you've become a problem," he said. "Sel'mac's got a headache, and that's saying something."

Laura nodded, putting her hand down. Nestling on the ring finger was the ring that Gaia had sent her. "Heart?"

"Heart," Linka confirmed. "Ma-Ti cannot do that."

"Nor would I want to," Ma-Ti retorted.

Laura nodded. "Guess it's up to me."

Thor looked at the ring on her finger. "I had no idea that the spirits of this planet had developed such powerful devices. What are these rings made of, if I may ask?"

Wheeler grinned. "Copper, glass, and a _whole_ lot of willpower."

"I see."

Qui-Gon turned around as Janet came in, followed by Potter, who was giving her the most peculiar look. Deciding that it was none of his business, he turned back to the diminutive alien. "Getting back to the topic at hand, you have a problem in your own galaxy involving...Replicators?"

Thor nodded. "As such, the Asgard fleet is currently unavailable for deployment here in this galaxy."

Potter looked up. "Excuse me? Did you say Replicators?"

"I did indeed."

Potter nodded, then looked at the others. "Excuse me." She vanished...reappearing a few seconds later. "Problem solved. Your fleets are now ready for redeployment."

Thor's eye's widened in shock. "What you are suggesting is impossible. There are trillions of Replicators."

"And I took care of them all. It's relatively simple for me. And the situation is desperate."

Belldandy nodded. "Alright. So that's one problem solved, before it was supposed to be solved. Now we need to deal with the Sunak and Sakar's forces here on Earth."

"How do we do that?" Urd asked.

Jack grinned. "We find Smith's sorry butt, and kick it into the next quadrant."

Janet shook her head. "And how do you plan to find him? He looks human. He can hide among the population if he wants to."  
"So we forget about Sakar and his soldiers." Wheeler turned. "We focus on the Sunak and the Goa'uld."

"How?" Hammond asked.

Kwame snapped his fingers. "They would not remain on Earth. They would return to whatever home world their queen is from."  
"Chulak," Teal'c murmured.

Hammond nodded. "Colonel, I want your team prepped to go through the Stargate in forty minutes. You'll take SG's-4, 8, and 12 as backup."  
Archer thought about it for a second. "I'd like to add some Mako's to your mission. The major's chapping for some action."

"I'll go, too." Potter grinned. "I want to see the Jaffa's face when I take several staff weapons in the chest, then return the favor."

Qui-Gon nodded. "Perhaps Mary and I should go as well."  
"I'd like to go too, General," Janet suddenly said.

"As would we," Kwame interjected.

"Count me in," Neptune called out.

"And me," Peter threw in.

"I don't think I need to say anything, and neither does Urd," Belldandy noted.

Hammond nodded. "Get going, then."

Grinning, everyone made their way out of the Gate Room.

----

Janet put her jacket on, adjusted it slightly, then reached for her hat.

"You sure haven't changed much," a voice commented.

Janet didn't look up. "By definition, Milady, no one ever changes. We just grow." She looked up, smiling. "I just loved the look on Thor's face when you told him that his little 'problem' was no longer an issue."  
Potter grinned. "Janet, the Guardians wanted to do something about the Replicators for centuries in this realm, but the rules forbade it, except in extreme situations."

Janet grinned. "I remember. I went to the Academy, remember?"  
"How could I forget?" The two women shared a good laugh at this. "So," Potter started after they managed to regain control of themselves, "I always wondered what happened to you. Why didn't you return?"  
"It's...complicated," Janet replied uneasily, tying one of her boots up, then the other. "I had a bad experience."

"So did I."

"I also have a foster daughter now."

"I have a son. Imagine that."

"And I have a career here."

"You could have been the head of medical research at Zion, or a simple country doctor if you had completed your Trial."  
"I don't even know my Trial, Lily," Janet replied quietly. "It never came to me in the vision quest."

Potter gawked at her in shock. "It didn't!" she blurted out. "That's unheard of!"  
"Tell me about." The CMO had a bitter expression on her face. "I took that as a sign that my life revolved outside of Guardian fold."

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, Janet. Not every Guardian becomes one until much later. But, in the meantime, instead of continuing our conversation about it I suggest we go and pay our respects to Tealc's homeland."

Janet nodded.

----

Mary fidgeted a bit, feeling a bit strange. This marked the first time in a long time that she had worn pants. Tugging on the green jacket, she also decided that she missed the old Jedi robes. She had also changed her hair style, turning it into a ponytail.

Peter walked in, wearing similar attire, strapping his sword to his belt. "Well, this is going to be an adventure, if there ever was one."

Mary smiled. "Adventure is what makes your life worthwhile."

"That, and Wendy."  
Shaking her head, the older Darling turned to see Janet and Potter enter the Gate Room, followed by SG-1, the Planeteers, Sailor Neptune, Qui-Gon, and a half dozen others, all wearing gray armor. _'Probably from _Enterprise she decided.

Neptune looked at the Stargate. "So, are we going, or what?"

Wheeler smiled slightly. "Nervous, are we?"

"A little, I admit."

"Don't be," Potter informed her gently. "The Stargate is perfectly safe."

Neptune smiled slightly.

_"And, seventh chevron...locked."_

The Stargate erupted outward in it's usual way, making those who weren't used to it to jump a bit in surprise, while those who were used to it smiled a bit in amusement.

_"People, you have a go," _Hammond informed them.

Potter grinned as she, Mary, and Qui Gon preceded the others up the ramp. "We'll let you know when you guys can come through. I want to have some fun, first. Linka, Wheeler? Shall we?"

"Is she crazy?" Linka whispered, creating a simple staff in her hands.

Wheeler shrugged, a similar weapon appearing in his hands. "This is how every Guardian is."

And then they stepped through the gate.

* * *

The Jaffa were nervous.

They had believed that their god Apophis was just that; A God. All powerful, and all knowing. He had left Chulak to defeat the Tau'ri, to prove his power over all.

And he had returned in defeat. The majority of his serpent warriors had died in two deafening explosions, and his son Chloral, had gone off to find a planet of his own to control. Things couldn't have gotten worse for him.

But they did.

Sokar, Apophis's enemy, had arrived with his ships, entering the city to take him away in chains. Just like that, the Jaffa's faith in him had been damaged. And Sokar didn't stay to try and subjugate them into worshipping him.

But, just recently, Apophis returned with Amonet, claiming that Sokar had seen the error of his ways, and had released him. He then brought a whole new contingent of Jaffa warriors through the Stargate. Reinforcements from all of the other worlds that he 'protected.' A confusing year for all of them.

And now this. The Chaapa'ai was activating.

Soldiers jockeyed for position, hoping for the best shot. One got his horn ready, in case reinforcements were needed. To give him credit, he didn't really know that the first person that would come through the gate was someone who could destroy the whole universe if she so wished, and that all of the reinforcements on Chulak were going to be a walk in the park for her.

The Jaffa finally were settled, waiting. Their wait was not long.

Potter stepped through the gate, grinning from ear to ear. "Evening, all of you!" she called out. "I was wondering if any of you knew the direction to St. Otterypole. I seem to have taken a wrong direction."  
The Jaffa, deciding that this constituted a threat to their god, immediately opened fire, each blast hitting with absolute accuracy. It became apparent that Potter's armor was beginning to smoke. Finally, after several minutes of firing, the Jaffa stopped, watching her.

Potter looked herself over, then looked at them, just as the rest of them came through the gate. "Nice, very nice. Power level about 1.05. Perfect for killing anything that can't heal itself...or isn't invincible to almost every form of weaponry. I fall under the second category." She grinned. "So let me say...my turn!" She brought a finger up, and flicked it.

And every Jaffa there suddenly was hurtled backwards, hitting the ground almost twenty feet away, unconscious. Their weapons floated to the ground, little more than flowers.

Belldandy blinked once in surprise. "Incredible."

"Sweet," Jack noted. "How'd ya do that?"  
Potter grinned. "With just a smidgen of my power." She started down the path. "Come on. Chulak's capital awaits."

Wheeler grinned, looking at Neptune. "Way of the world. Let's go."

Jack grinned, and followed Potter as she walked down the path, like she hadn't a care in the world.

Grant you, she didn't.


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

For several hours, the group of soldiers walked down the dirt path, not even bothering to find any sort of cover. There was no reason to, as Lily was strolling along like she didn't have a care in the world.

_'Grant you,' _Wheeler thought, '_she doesn't have a care in the world. What can the Goa'uld do to her that Voldemort couldn't?'_

From his angle, he saw Wendy fidget a bit, and could understand why. She had been raised in a time where the ladies wore dresses, corsets, and were little more than objects of affection. She was obviously not used to pants, late twentieth century undergarments, a hat on her head, and being treated as an equal among them, but other than that, she was almost skipping, almost reveling in the freedom she had.

"You are thinking, Yankee."

Grinning, Wheeler looked over at Linka, who was grinning impishly at him. "What gave it away?" he asked.

Linka pointed at his lips. "Your upper lip twitches whenever you go deep into thought. And you get this distant look in your eyes."

Wheeler jerked his head in front of them, towards the others. "Just thinking about how much things have changed over the last week. I mean, at the beginning of the week, all we had for problems were the eco terrorists, and any corrupt politicians that have plans for destroying the environment. Now look at us. We meet the crew of a ship from a parallel realty, a secret military organization that goes to other worlds, the legendary Peter Pan and Wendy, _and_ her family. And we are now fighting a war against an alien species, and my family's deadliest enemy." His grin became wistful. "Makes you think that you can do anything."

"Da." Linka giggled slightly. "I am starting to act like a Guardian already. I find the whole life and death situation rather...invigorating." She felt something at the back of her head, but disregarded it as paranoia.

"See? You're cut out to be one, then."

Lily brought a hand up suddenly, having sensed something nearby, though she couldn't pinpoint it. Quieting down, the two Trainees crouched a bit, their eyes darting every which way. They saw Janet do the same thing for a second, before relaxing.

Lily broadened her senses, searching for the mysterious sensation that she had felt. It felt...familiar to her. Extremely familiar. So familiar, in fact, it was as if she were...looking through a mirror. She immediately knew who it was. "James Potter!" she called out. "Unshroud yourself right this second!"

A stint of laughter suddenly erupted next to Sam, causing her to jump. "You're as rusty as I am, Lily," a voice suddenly stated. "I've been walking alongside the good captain here ever since you came through the Stargate." The air rippled, revealing a middle aged man, wearing armor similar in color to Lily's, though it was made for the male physique, and with pants, obviously. He had untidy raven hair, and a set of wire rim glasses over his eyes. There was a slightly mischievous expression in those eyes, something Lily remembered all too well. It was one of things about him that she fell in love with.

Jack moved his head slightly in acknowledgement. "The other Guardian of Magic, I presume?"

"Colonel Jack O'Neill, I presume?" James retorted, grinning like mad. "Captain Samantha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson, and Teal'c of Chulak. SG-1, if I'm remembering my briefing correctly." His gaze slid over the others. "Mary Sara Darling, Wendy Moira Angela Darling, and Peter Pan. Then there is Qui-Gon Jinn, and..." his grin widened as he laid eyes on an old friend. "Janet! How've you been doing, mate?"  
Janet froze. "No!" she hissed through clenched teeth, but it was too late. Everyone turned to look at her, having heard that.

"Fraiser?' Jack inquired. "You know this guy?"  
"Thanks a lot, James! Just what I needed, having to explain myself! Remind me to hit you later!" Janet snapped. "Colonel, this is James Potter, Lily's husband."

"Her counterpart, and recently returned to active duty."

Jack's gaze didn't waver from the doctor. "And how is it that you know him?" he continued.

"Answer that," Lily snarled at her husband," and I'll turn you into a toad. I don't need to turn your attention to our sixth year at Hogwarts, now do I?"  
James gulped. "No, ma'am, you don't. I remember that all too well."

Sam smirked.  
"Well, I didn't ask either of you. I asked her." Jack glared at Janet. "Do I need to make it a direct order?"

"And do I need to beat it out of you?" Linka added.

"You'd have a problem with that," Janet replied without thinking. "I've got more experience than you in combat." Her eyes widened again as what she had just said sank into her own brain.  
Lily groaned. "Bad move, Janet. Wrong thing to say. Your cover's blown."

Daniel suddenly looked at James, then Lily, then at Wheeler and Linka. "My god, you're a Guardian."  
Janet shook her head, her hand rubbing it in exasperation. "No, I'm just a Trainee. I was born and bred in Zion until my seventeenth birthday. My parents are the Guardians of Celestia."

Lily sighed. "Janet was in the process of finishing her trial, the test that would show whether or not she and her counterpart would become Guardians, when something happened. And before you ask, only Alania knows what happened," she added hastily, seeing Sam's mouth open.

James stepped forward, so he was next to his wife. "After a lengthily psychiatric evaluation, and a few weeks of recovery in the medical wing, Janet here disappeared, with only a note to her parents letting her know that she was leaving. She disappeared so thoroughly that none of us could find her." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, yeah, before I forget." He pulled out a small case, opening it, and turning it around to show Wheeler and Linka. "Your crests, Fire and Wind," he said.  
Indeed, the two crests inside bore the symbols of fire and wind, the two elements that the two Trainees were best known for. They quickly pulled them out, observed them for a second, them slipped them over their heads. They also put them under their shirts, hiding them from view. "I was wondering when we were going to get them," Wheeler noted. "But, what took you so long?"  
James grimaced. "My first mission after being cleared for duty was on Lunar, and I end up beating Mimi Tachekawa within an inch of her life...well, not within an inch of her life, but you know what I mean."  
"_You_ _beat up a Digi-Destined?_" Janet bellowed. "_What the fuck were you thinking?_"  
Wendy winced. "Doctor Fraiser, your language."  
"Don't worry about it. She's actually more restrained than the majority of us Guardians. We actually have cussing tournaments in Zion every two years." Lily sighed at the stupidity of some of her people.  
"Sweet." Jack gestured. "Well, shall we continue on? Teal'c?"  
Teal'c looked around. "We are about two hours from the city," he reported. "It shall be time for the Jaffa to re-pledge their loyalty to Apophis."

"So we need a plan," one of the Mako's stated.

Belldandy nodded. "I have an idea. We just calmly walk up to the temple."

James grinned. "I was about to suggest that. I mean, we have two goddesses, two Guardians, three Trainees, the Planeteers, Captain Planet, a small force of Mako's, three SG units besides SG-1, a Sailor Scout, two Jedi Knights, Peter Pan, Wendy, and Master Bra'tac. I don't think there's going to be a problem."

Wheeler grinned. "Then let's pay your old home a little visit, Teal'c."

* * *

Hammond grinned at the looks of glee on his grandchildren as they pestered the former Lost Boys about all of their adventures, while Millicent and George smiled in the background, rather proud of them. John and Tiger Lily were talking quietly on the other side of the room, while Michael and Cassie talked to R'yac about Jaffa life. He saw how close the youngest Darling and Janet's foster daughter had become in the short period of time.

Captain Archer stared out at the Stargate, observing the unique device with a detached air. The general knew that Commander Tucker and Sub-Commander T-Pol were in Captain Carter's office, looking over the Naquadah research she had accumulated. Which left him waiting for Maybourne.

As if to give life to his dark thoughts, Colonel Maybourne entered the briefing room with Captain Anderson right behind him. And behind him...was Senator Kimsi, looking rather grumpy. "Colonel?" Hammond inquired.

Maybourne shrugged. "Senator Kimsi decided to tag along. He wanted to talk to Captain Archer."

"Well, whatever deals he has can wait until the end of this meeting. Sit down." He turned. "Mister Darling, Miss Darling, could you take the kids to the mess hall?"  
"Certainly. Come along, children!" George called out.

Hammond kneeled down. "David, Caroline, I want you to go with Mister Darling, okay?"

David nodded. "Okay, Grandpa." He and his sister joined the group vacating the Conference Room, thoughts of food flitting through their heads.

Kimsi frowned. "I wasn't aware that the SGC had opened up a daycare center since I was last here," he said disapprovingly.

Archer pushed himself off the window. "Like we care if you knew. We have a problem that needs to be addressed."  
"The president has asked that Stargate Command and the NID discuss the eventual revelation of the Stargate Program to the rest of the world." Hammond sat back in his seat, as everyone found a place to sit down. "Also, allow me to introduce Gaia, the Spirit of the Earth, Athena of Yggdrasil, Supreme Commander Thor, and Lily Sloane. You remember Jacob Carter."  
Maybourne nodded. "Sir," he said.

"Colonel," Jacob returned with.

"Lily, Gaia, Athena, Captain, Lieutenant, Thor, these are Colonel Maybourne of the NID, and Senator Kimsi," Hammond continued. "Master Bra'tac is currently off world with several SG teams on a recon mission, and won't be back for a few hours."

Kimsi nodded to each person in the room, then looked at Hammond. "Revealing the Stargate to the rest of the world? Now I know that the fact that extraterrestrials existing can no longer be contained, but aren't we jumping the gun here? Revealing the Stargate Program now could considered an act of war. A war, I might add, that we can't afford to have."  
"Actually, General Hammond and I agree that there's no other option," Maybourne replied. "We have to be ready for any contingency that the Sunak or the Goa'uld have for Earth." He frowned. "Where exactly is Colonel O'Neill and SG-1?"  
"Teal'c's home world, attempting to get some information out of Amonet, Apophis's 'bride.'"  
Athena leaned forward. "Quite frankly, Colonel, Senator, the Sunak aren't the real enemy. As you both have undoubtedly read in the most current mission reports, members of Captain Archer's crew made contact with a powerful alien spirit called Sakar. Yggdrasil has reason to believe that he has united the entirety of the Goa'uld under a flag of genocide, and is preparing to attack as soon as the Sunak have decimated Earth's defenses." She nodded to Gaia. "Gaia here, has been locked in a cold war with the Rogue for a thousand years, and we have been trying to stop him for two thousand." She sighed. "As you've gathered, we haven't succeeded."

"So, you're gods, but you still have limits." Kimsi snorted. "There is only one God in this universe, Athena."  
"I'll explain later," Anderson stated hastily. "But right now, we need to hear this."  
Athena nodded. "As I said, neither Heaven or Gaia have been able to stop him...but we believe someone can."  
Maybourne leaned in. "We're listening."

* * *

Planet was amazed. "Looks...primitive," he said.

Teal'c nodded. "With the exception of the Jaffa warriors, the people who live under the Goa'uld's enslavement are deliberately kept at a state of technological primitiveness."

"Makes them easier to control," Urd muttered darkly.

"Unfortunately." Belldandy shook her shoulders, loosening them. "But we can't help them now. We need to complete this mission."  
Kwame looked around. "Master Bra'tac, you know where the main entrance is. Could you lead us that way?"  
Bra-tac nodded. "This way," he said, walking in one direction.

Lily grinned. "See? It pays to have people like him around."  
Gi giggled.

* * *

"A public news conference?" Kimsi echoed.

Sloane nodded. "Think about it, Senator. You're head of the funding committee. As such, you should be the one to reveal the Stargate to the world. And it'll give you media coverage, which I know you love."

Maybourne schooled his face into impassivity, though secretly, he groaned. While he had no real love for the people in the SGC, he did have to give them credit. They were good at their job, and they didn't really bother him. Though there was that time that Colonel O'Neill requested permission to kick his ass, but other than that... "Senator, the fact that you're the one who funds this organization makes you the official spokesperson for the project. I can't do it. General Hammond can't leave his post to travel to Washington to do it. And who'd believe the rest of the humans here?"

Thor nodded. "Perhaps I should be there, then. As you would say, seeing is believing."  
Jacob looked up. "I'll be there too. Sel'mac can vouch for the program."

Kimsi looked at each face in turn, seeing the same conviction written on each one. "Alright, now to the reason I'm here..."  
"No," Archer replied immediately.

"But, your technology could give our Earth a..."  
"I've read the reports, and I've finally figured out why the vulcan's held back certain technology from my Earth. The Goa'uld have technology that is light years ahead of _Enterprise_, and if we give you the technology, then you'd develop weapons that could ultimately be used to destroy Earth. And quite frankly, I'm not going to be held responsible for that."  
"Kimsi, drop it," Maybourne barked. "I'm not going to ask him for that stuff."

Hammond grinned slightly. "Anything else you care to ask, Senator?"

Kimsi looked at the door. "Why _are_ there children here, General?" he asked.

"Protection," Gaia replied. "I take it you heard about the deaths of all the ranchers in Yellowstone."  
Kimsi was silent.

Gaia nodded. "Yeah, I thought so. One of those slaughtered was the father of a good friend of mine."

"As of this moment, the Planeteers are accompanying SG's 1, 4, 8, and 12. I have also recalled all off world teams, and have requested reinforcements to fortify the defenses of this facility."  
"Twelve Asgard warships will be in orbit of Earth in about twelve hours," Thor added. "Because of the enemy in our galaxy has experienced...technical difficulties..." Hammond and the others who knew why smirked at this, "we are now able to help defend this world from both the Sunak and the Goa'uld."

Jacob placed his hands on the table. "Seventeen Tok'ra technicians are being assembled, and will be here before the Sunak finish their preparations for attack. They'll help build shields, rail guns, and stronger casings for anti aircraft artillery."

"And Yggdrasil will be sending troops down to fortify Hope Island," Athena added. "We are also attempting to ascertain how they knew where and who to strike."

Kimsi opened his mouth to reply, but a knocking from behind them caught their attention. The lot of them turned in the direction of the door.

Ex stood at the doorway, fidgeting slightly. "Athena, Mal...Lieutenant Reed found something in Ma-Ti's room. You all should see it. We found out why."

* * *

Five Jaffa warriors charged forward, weapons charged. They promptly were knocked unconscious by five well placed blows by James.

The reason for this was the fact that the small force was walking down the main street of Chulak's only city, all of them with their weapons down, and rather at ease with their surroundings, all things considering.

"There is the main palace," Teal'c noted, pointing at one particular structure. "Apophis and Amonet reside there when they are on this world."  
Janet nodded, the hair on the back of her neck rising a bit. "They're not alone," she said.

"You've felt it, then." Wheeler created his customary sword.

"You both felt it, too?" Linka sighed in relief, then frowned. "What does it mean?"  
"What are you three talking about?" Jack demanded.

"I'd like to know that myself," Neptune added.

James held up a hand. "The hairs on the back you neck is rising, Linka?" A nod answered his question. "That means there are Empowered in that building." He pulled a weapon that was decidedly alien off of his back. "A _bat'leth,"_ he explained. "It's a Klingon weapon."

"And...this scares you." Jack deactivated the safety on his weapon. "And sweet."

Janet sighed. "Colonel, Empowered weapons can hurt Guardians, because they are magically endowed."

"And they force Guardians to fight at their level," Wheeler added. "Which is why the Guardians are skilled in hand in hand combat."  
"And that's why Voldemort grew as powerful as he did." James had a very dangerous spark in his eyes. "He knew this aspect in our existence, and used it to his advantage. He was the one Empowered even the Guardians were wary to cross."  
"And you crossed him," Belldandy stated.

"And he didn't like it." Lily sighed. "Because of that monster, we haven't seen our son for thirteen of his years. And when I get my hands on that sniveling Wormtail, I'm going to-"  
"Me first, dear. He was my friend, after all."

Neptune sidled up to Wheeler. "Guardians must have everything going for them if they can argue about that."  
Wheeler chuckled as they started up the stairs towards the castle.

* * *

Archer and Athena walked into the Crystal Chamber, immediately greeted by Reed. "What do you have, Malcolm?" Archer asked immediately.

Reed walked over to one of the tables. "When we searched through Ma-Ti's room, we found several devices. Some sort of camera that we have never seen before. It is more advanced then any espionage equipment that the Twentieth Century has."

Archer observed the device in question. "It looks like a mechanical insect. Gaia? Have you seen anything like this before?"

Gaia observed it for a second, her gaze darkening. "Oh, I have seen it before. Lily?"  
Sloane glanced at it, her gaze darkening in anger. "This belongs to an eco terrorist called Doctor Blight. I didn't think she would still be active after all of these years."

Ex blinked. "Why would an eco terrorist want to keep tabs on the Heart Planeteer and his girlfriend?"  
Keiichi looked up. "Isn't it obvious?" he asked. "This Doctor Blight is helping Sakar's people."

Skuld frowned. "Why would she help Sakar?"  
"Because she hates me," Gaia replied. "She had tried to destroy my control over nature several times since the current Planeteers were formed."

Archer stared at the camera. "This is short range."

"What does that mean?" Ere asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" Peorth was starting to become angry. "Doctor Blight is still around here."

"Find her," Archer ordered.

"Yes, sir."

* * *

"This is too easy now," Neptune noted.

"Indeed." Mary looked around. "I sense a great deal of tension here, but no fear."

Janet nodded. "Something's definitely different here. They're...expecting something to occur."

Ma-Ti and Laura looked at each other, having had the same feeling.

Jack turned around. "Major Hayes, set up a perimeter around the main entrance, and wait for our signal, understand?"  
"Understood, sir." The major quickly turned, giving orders to the others.

Satisfied, the Colonel turned around. "Well, campers, let's get going."

James looked at Daniel. "He's kookier than I thought he would be."

Daniel grimaced. "Try working with the man for almost two years."

"I don't think I want to," Peter replied.

Janet and Sam exchanged amused glances, which Janet also shared with Lily, as Planet opened the large doors leading to the main chamber.

Gi whistled. "I'll give the Goa'uld credit for one thing. They know how to build a palace."  
"Girl, please," Linka snorted. "I have seen hovels that look better than this."

Janet grinned. "I've seen Guardian households better looking than this."  
"Janet, most Guardian households are better than this crap," Lily reminded her as they moved forward.

Wendy shuddered. The chamber reminded her of a larger version of Captain Hook's quarters aboard the _Jolly Roger_. Not a friendly thought.

As they approached the throne, they saw that it had been turned around. Which was surprising. Goa'uld thrones were not made with a swivel attachment.

"Okay...Daniel? Care to tell us how this is possible?"

Daniel looked around. "I couldn't begin to tell you. I mean, this is new. Teal'c?"  
"I do not sense the presence of the Goa'uld," Teal'c replied. "Apophis or Amonet are not here."

"Could another Goa'uld System Lord have already been here?" Sam asked.

Janet shook her head. "There's no sign of battle damage anymore. The whole palace has been repaired." She pointed at one point in particular. "See that wall panel. It was replaced recently."

"How can you tell?"  
Janet just looked at her.

Sam winced. "Right, sorry. So, why did they turn the throne around?"

"I don't think Apophis or Amonet did this," Neptune suddenly stated. "There is someone sitting in it. He, or she, knows we're here."

Planet walked forward until he was at the side. "And he is ugly. Hey, don't you speak, pal? Or do you speak sword language?"  
Janet turned to the Planeteers, eyebrow raised. Ma-Ti shrugged. "He has a warped sense of humor," was all he said.

Nodding once in understanding, Janet turned around, watching as Planet accept something, rather confused.

"Planet?" Jack simply inquired.

Planet shook his head. "He wanted me to give this to you, Doctor. I couldn't really see him. He was right in the shadow."  
"Give me what?" Janet asked.

Wheeler was also curious about this, and he took a step closer as Planet handed a package to the CMO, and she unwrapped it.

There, nestled underneath the cloth, was a piece of clothing. A shirt, if he guessed correctly. _'Why would someone give Janet a shirt?'_ he asked himself.

But apparently, this was the wrong thing to do, because Janet quickly dropped it, backing away quickly. And on her face was something that no one in SGC had ever seen on her.

Pure, unadulterated terror.

"Do you see now, Janet?" a harsh voice stated from the throne, sounding rather amused. "There's nowhere you can't go that I won't find you. Especially since I'm not done with you, old friend."  
Janet stumbled back, eyes wide. "You..."  
"Alright, who are you?" Gi shouted. "Show yourself."  
"Ask Janet who I am," the voice replied. "She can even tell you why she ran from Zion. But as for showing myself...why not? It'll make her squirm even more." The being in throne slowly stood up, walking around it to step into the light.

Teal'c's glare grew as his surprise grew. "What type of creature is this?"  
"He's a monster...literally," James snarled.

The creature was a blue/gray red monster, with a bulky orange suit. Chains were attacked to his waist, and fangs protruding from the vests inner sides. Horns were on his head, knobby bits of skin moving down his forehead, and two orange eyes completed the sinister look, and feel of him.

"Darconda," Janet whispered.

Wheeler blinked. "The Darconda? The destroyer of Daris Prime?"  
"The same," Lily growled.

Darconda watched the assembled, smirking. "So these are those Tau'ri Apophis told me so much about. What was that moniker again, Janet? SG-1?" His smirk grew. "And what's this I hear that you have a daughter? Is she a redhead, like you?"  
"Don't answer that!" James ordered.  
"Oh, Mister Potter, I already know about Cassandra, and what she went through. I just wanted to see the absolute terror on Janet's face. You see, you're not safe yet, woman. And you never will be."

Jack grinned grimly. "Let's change that little detail. Teal'c? Carter? Open fire?"

The three of them immediately opened fire with their weapons. Bullets and Staff blasts slammed into the creature before them, sending up sparks into the air, and little plumes of flame from the energy strikes. Enough artillery to kill ten Jaffa.

Darconda staggered back several feet, his clothing smoking and riddled with bullet holes. He looked down at himself, then at them. "Pathetic. You actually think Staff blasts and weak human artillery can even hurt me, let alone kill me?" He started laughing. "Come now, Colonel! No mortal can defeat me with those kinds of weapons!"  
"Let's try immortal then. _Wind_!" Linka bellowed, sending a powerful blast of wind at the thing, slamming him into the wall.

Several staff blasts sounds could be heard behind them, as well as answering automatic weapons fire. The Jaffa were trying to get in, only to be held back.

Darconda got up, brushing his suit off. "Nice, Wind. Pretty impressive." He clapped once. "Gentlemen, say hello to these people." Almost a dozen people appeared around them at those orders, weapons drawn and ready.

Lily shrugged, her staff appearing in her hands. "Well, I need some exercise," she said. "Let's see if these guys are up to the task."

And Janet suddenly charged forward, fear giving in to rage as she hurtled forward, her hands aiming for Darconda's throat.

* * *

Michael walked into the Gate Room, being towed by an enthusiastic Cassie. After they had been chased from the conference room, Cassie had decided to give him a tour of the level, starting with the control room, and moving to the Gate Room.

"So this is the Stargate," Michael stated, staring in childish amazement. "This was never in Wendy's stories."  
Cassie giggled. "The Earth Stargate was discovered in Egypt almost half a century ago by archaeologists. The military gained control of it, and worked to uncover what it was used for." She shrugged. "The project almost got scrapped, but two years ago, Daniel was put on the project, and well, history was made."  
"What happened?"  
"They killed Ra. Jack and Daniel, I mean."

"Ra?" Michael knew that he was the King of the Egyptian Gods. "They killed a god?"  
"No, just the head of the Goa'uld," Jacob replied, walking in. "Quite a sight, isn't it?"

"Yes, yes it is," Michael replied.

Jacob grinned. "It's better than going into space. That was what I was pushing Sam to do several months ago, before becoming a Tok'ra." His head bowed, then raised. "Greetings, Michael Darling, Cassandra."

Cassie grinned. "Hi, Sel'mac."

"Sel'mac?"  
"I am a renegade Goa'uld, known as a Tok'ra. Jacob Carter used to read Peter Pan to Captain Carter when she was younger."

"The Goa'uld are those parasitic guys?" Michael asked Cassie.

Cassie nodded. "They're the ones who destroyed my old home."  
Now the young boy didn't know what to say. It was obviously a sore subject for her. As if sensing his hesitation, Cassie turned. "A Goa'uld System Lord called Nirrti killed every human being on my world, except me. She tried to use me to destroy the Stargate."  
"Here's the one thing you need to know about the Goa'uld, Michael," Sel'mac informed him. "The Goa'uld care for nothing but themselves. They will use a little girl as a Trojan Horse to destroy a target, and won't think twice about it." Then the head bowed, and Jacob came back. "Kid, there's one other thing you need to know. If Peter and Wendy's been targeted by Sakar, then it's a pretty good bet that they also targeted by Apophis and the others."

"Oh, dear."

* * *

Darconda was, understandably, not prepared for Janet's enraged charge. So when she slammed into him with the force of Dark Specter, he didn't have a chance to defend himself.

Janet picked the monster up, and whirled, throwing him with every erg of energy in her Trainee body. This had the purpose of throwing him through the door at breakneck speed. See, this is what happens when someone pisses off a Trainee, or a Guardian.

James brought his bat'leth up, blocking a downward axe swipe, then forced the Empowered he was fighting back a few feet. He quickly went into a battle position, moving into the Dragon's Passage from Thought to Action, Level One. The highest level of the mastery.

Unlike the other Guardians, who employed Jedi or ordinary human disciplines, James had been interested in the Klingon combat styles, even creating a _bat'leth_ as part of his Zion days. Remus and Sirius had joked about how the blade looked like The Razor from Hell. James had pointed out that was the intention. A weapon of intimidation, but also a weapon that could be used. He had used it in dozens of engagements, on both off world missions and against Voldemort's Death Eaters.

And now he used it again. He waited until his opponent went into a classic Centra attack position, then moved forward, his weapon moving in a crescent movement.

His opponent blocked quickly, giving a bit of ground as he did so. He quickly whirled, aiming for James's legs. James leaped, slashing downward as he did so. When his opponent blocked, he kicked him in the gut, then literally stabbed him in the back, ending his life rather quickly.

Jack, Teal'c and Daniel were having a bit more trouble with their opponent, having never really fought in this matter. While Teal'c had faced Jaffa warriors before, the Jaffa fought with honor. This warrior was much stronger, and wasn't beyond fighting dirty.

That changed when Sam flew in, her boot slamming into the person's jaw. "I'll take him, sir!" she shouted. "Major Hayes needs backup!"  
"Planeteers!" Kwame barked, kicking another Empowered in the family jewels. "Let's leave these freaks for those who are qualified to defeat them!"

"Teal'c, Daniel, let's go!" SG-1, Kwame, Gi, Ma-Ti, and Laura, quickly followed by Planet, headed for the exit. Belldandy smacked her opponent's head with the flat of her staff, before following them.

Janet was already ahead of them, halfway down the hall in fact, her fists and feet moving furiously as she battered Darconda's defenses. Her face was twisted in fury. A fury that was very much justified in this instance. "You...will...not...go...anywhere...near...my...kid!" she snarled. "You...can...go...straight...to...Hell!"  
Darconda grabbed her arm, still smirking. "Well, I struck a nerve. Good. And you first!" He threw her into a wall, cracking it. His fist flew forward, smashing across her face. A gout of blood erupted from her lower lip as he drew back for another punch. Janet's own fist came up first, returning the favor, and with more force behind it.

Urd casually blocked her opponent's blows, then charged a lightning bolt, throwing it into her gut. She smirked. "Good night."

Sam quickly picked up two discarded swords, whirled them a bit, and satisfied with the feel and weight, held them up.

Her opponent glared at her. "I'm going to enjoy this, woman!" He came in, scimitar coming down for a crippling blow.

Sam quickly blocked the blow, then launched a series of lightning quick blows, testing her opponent's defenses.

Neptune quickly grabbed the wrists of a particularly brutish man, holding him in place effortlessly. She quickly brought both of her feet up, slamming into his chest, releasing at the same time. When she landed, she brought her hands up. "_Neptune Deep Submerge!_" She sent her attack at the dazed Empowered, obliterating him in one shot of water.

Wheeler evaded his foe's blows easily, his fire sword blocking other blows quickly. He lashed out with a vertical kick, catching the creep unawares. He swept him off his feet, driving his sword through his chest.

Linka followed a similar policy, except she used her spear to trip her opponent, then stab her through both of her legs, effectively immobilizing her.

Peter and his opponent's blades moved in a blur, two masters in the art of dueling using their prowess against each other. Peter dodged an overhead swing, then blocked a downward swipe, his fist slamming into the woman's stomach. "Sorry about this!" he apologized, before slicing her arm off, then smashing the hilt of his sword into her head, putting her out of her misery.

Wendy's sword skills, though nowhere near as proficient as the young man's, was still decent in a fight. And now that she knew about the Force, and where she had gained her instincts, she was even more dangerous. She proved it by first stabbing the warrior through the gut, then through the chest, quickly ending the fight.

Qui-Gon leaped and slashed, keeping his foe from getting a definite advantage over him. As a Jedi Ataro stylist, he used the Force to bring himself above his opponents defenses, stabbing the creature through the head.

Mary's opponent, thinking that she was much the same way, aimed a series of chops at her legs, hoping to make her jump so she could skewer him. She had known about Jedi fighting styles. So sure was her plan, that she almost didn't notice the fact that Mary blocked every blow, not even moving an inch. It took her a few moments to realize this, and when she did, she remembered who she was fighting.

Mary Sara was not a master of Soresu.

Mary Sara _created_ Soresu.

She was the first master of the style.

Mary smiled gently, then started moving forward, her blade moving in a vicious movement, decimating her opponent's defenses. The Empowered, in her final moments of life, suddenly remembered something else.

Mary Sara also created the Hjem Do style, and she had merged it with Soresu to create another style that no Jedi after her could ever master. Not Obi-Wan. Not Anakin. Not Yoda. Not even Mace Windu.

A style that no being could defeat.

Mary's lightsaber sliced through both of her opponents arms, and then stabbed her through her chest. As the body dropped to the ground, Mary mumbled a prayer to the Force before turning around.

Now only one battle still raged.

Sam dodged one blow, had her retaliatory strike blocked, then had her breath stolen from her when the creep caught her in the gut with his fist. She collapsed, barely blocking another blow. She did a leg sweep, knocking her foe off his vertical base, scrambling to her feet.

Janet's feet connected with Darconda's face, leaving two footprint impressions behind. Something to remember her by. She leaped backwards, then charged forward, fist cocked, a snarl emerging from her throat. Darconda regained his equilibrium quickly, catching the fist. He didn't see her other fist introducing itself to his stomach, folding him in half. She quickly did a double blow to his back, taking him down.

The final Empowered in the room charged forward, letting out a war cry that would have made a Jaffa proud, blade raised high. Sam waited until he had reached her, then ducked as the blade flew overhead, one of her blades embedding itself into his stomach. She let go of it, then whirled, catching him in his leg. Continuing her whirl, she aimed her blade higher.

Namely, neck high.

As soon as she completed her whirl, removing her opponents head in the process, lightning suddenly appeared out of nowhere, slamming into the Air Force captain at startling velocity. Something that hadn't happened for a long time.

Janet's fist drew back, ready to drive it through her nemesis's face, and through the wall behind him, when she saw something flicker back in the throne room. Turning her head, she saw lightning arcing out of the open door. "By the gods," she whispered. "Sam…"  
The distraction cost her, as Darconda blasted her, knocking her into the other wall. "You should have continued to pummel me, Janet!" He grinned. "I'll be around, but for now, good bye!" He ran for the door, smashing through the SG units. "Jaffa, go through the Gate!" he ordered. "We let them go for now!"

Janet got back to a vertical base, seeing red. "Not so fast, you cosmic bastard!" she snarled, taking off in pursuit.

Jack staggered to his feet, confused. "What the hell?!" He got out of the way as Janet blew past, energy collecting in her hands, and trailing behind her.

Sam shouted in agony as power rushed into her, strengthening her very core. A sensation she hadn't felt since she was thirteen, and fighting in Dreamscape. That same power caused sparks to erupt off the stone walls, bathing the room in flashes of bright light, almost blinding everyone else in the vicinity.

And then, just like that, it was over.

Sam dropped to her knees, relief and exhaustion flowing through her veins. She had forgotten the rush behind the pain, the sheer thrill of victory. It was something that she had tried very hard to forget. But she could think about that later. Getting back to her feet, she staggered a bit, regaining her bearings, then grabbed her walkie. "Colonel, the throne room is secure. What's your status?"  
_"Well, Darconda just ran by, followed by Fraiser, who's looking very pissed off. You know anything about this?"  
_"Not really, sir. We're on our way." Sam looked at Lily. "Do you have any idea?"  
Lily shook her head. "But when we get back, I'm going to have a very long talk with her about the subject."

----

Darconda ran for the Stargate, the Jaffa right behind him. He hadn't been expecting Janet to fight back, and certainly not with such ferocity. What was more, he had felt the presence of an Empowered warrior. Not a good sign in his book. He'd have to tell Sakar about this new development.

He was almost to the Gate when he heard the sound of pounding footsteps behind him. He turned.

Which proved to be the worst thing to have done, as a hundred and one pounds of enraged Janet Fraiser slammed into him with the force of a bull. He fell backwards, driving his feet into her stomach, then pushed forward, knocking her off of him. Leaping to his feet, he sent a full scale energy blast at her. It was enough power to kill most ordinary people, and its aim was perfect, almost burning her face off. Thanks for extremely strong skin, and a very strong, very fast healing factor, so the damage was mostly repaired in the blink of an eye.

But it did serve to give the monster some time. And he put it to good use.

Taking those last leaps needed to reach the DHD, he punched in the address he wanted, where a Goa'uld vessel waited for him. Turning around, he watched as Janet picked herself up. "Sorry I can't stay around to finish this fight, but I have to report to my superiors. Bye bye, Janet. I'll be seeing you again!" He jumped through the portal.

Janet charged the gate as the Jaffa followed him through, some stopping to cover their retreat. She dodged their attack contemptuously, never breaking stride .

The last Jaffa fired off one parting shot, then stepped through the Stargate. Janet leaped...just as the gate shut down. She flew through the now open spot, rolling on the other side. "Damn it!" she bellowed. "I almost had him!" She kicked a nearby tree, snapping it like it was twig.

The rest of them arrived quickly enough, Bra-tac and Jack stopping to catch their breath.

Planet looked at Janet, who was busy dusting her jacket off. "Did you get him?" he asked.

"Does it look like I got him!" Janet retorted angrily. "I almost had the bastard!"  
Peter nodded. "You'll get another chance. He's coming back, after all."  
Kwame sighed. "Peter, it is not that simple. Doctor Fraiser's adopted daughter is now at risk. He knows where she is, who she is, her entire past. This is the reason why she wanted to get him now."

"Then make it simple," Wendy replied with.

Wheeler nodded. "I'll go with that. Doctor Jackson, could you dial home, please? We need to rethink our strategy."  
And as Daniel did that, he began thinking dark thoughts about Sakar and his allies.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

Michael and Cassie were still in the Gate Room, chatting about how much things had changed over the years on Earth, when the Stargate started turning, shocking them.

_"Alert! Unscheduled Offworld Activation!" _Walter's voice sounded off from above. Instantly, armed soldiers entered, weapons ready to use. The two kids, who had been at the far side of the room, found themselves cut off, wedged into a corner.

Michael looked at Cassie. "Is it always like this when that thing turns on?" he asked.

Cassie nodded. "I'm normally not here when it happens, but yeah, it's like this."

_"Sg-1's IDO signal."_

_"Defense team, stand down. Open the Iris," _Hammond ordered, his voice booming over the microphone. Cassie let out a sigh of relief.

The Iris opened, revealing the blue maw of the Stargate. A moment later, the returning heroes stepped out of it, all of them looking absolutely grumpy. And there was a new one with them.

Hammond entered the Gate Room. "Colonel, what happened?"  
"We were set up, sir," Jack replied immediately. "Somebody other than the snakes was waiting for us, and he wasn't human. Oh, yeah, the creep knew Doctor Fraiser."

Hammond turned to the woman in question. "Doctor...?"

Janet, who was still fuming, didn't seem to hear as she stalked out of the gate room. Potter frowned for a moment, before following her.

"Colonel...?"

Jack sighed. "Sir, she's a Trainee, like Wheeler and Linka. And, if you don't mind, I'd rather Maybourne doesn't find out about this."

James frowned. "It wouldn't matter. Alania had another mission for me, which was standing until I found Janet. And she isn't going to be happy with me. If you will excuse me..." He walked out of the area as well.

"Anyone else want to leave before I get enough pertinent information? And who was that man?" Hammond asked.

Jack looked around. "Well, we do have a great story to tell you. His name's James Potter."

"Briefing room, then. Captain Archer will return after a much needed interrogation on Hope Island. We found out how the Goa'uld knew where to look."

Ma-Ti perked up. "How?"

Hammond didn't even grin when he told them.

* * *

Two goddesses hoisted the massive ship out of the water, flew it over to the mainland, then set it down gently.

"Blow the hatch," Archer ordered.

Reed did so, not so gently placing a mine on the hatch. Everyone quickly stepped back, getting behind Peorth's shield. The mine detonated, knocking the hatch off of its hinges. A putrid smoke billowed out of the ship, choking the air in a fog.

Almost instantly, _Enterprise_ security men and Sentinals swarmed the vessel's interior, with Archer, Sloane, and Peorth behind them. They covered the entrance, the upper levels, and fired precision shots at the engines, disabling them. The ship wasn't going anywhere.

Archer stepped inside, taking his first look into the lifestyle of Doctor Barbara Blight.

A lab of some kind had been set up, complete with the usual mad scientist trimmings on hand. A massive computer screen was the most dominating object there, apparently doubling as a television a fact reinforced with the remote control being there. There were wrappers strewn all around, as well as a pungent odor, indicating that the occupant hadn't put much effort into tidying up her living space.

But what caught Archer's immediate attention were the cages. They were filled with the corpses of animals, all who looked like they had been much too large for their accommodations when they had been alive. And it explained the smell.

Reed blanched. "This...is inhumane."

Sloane laughed bitterly. "Why should she care? It's not like she has a conscience."

"Get them out of there," Peorth ordered two of her Sentinals, looking downright furious, before turning in the direction of Blight's sleeping quarters. "That's the only other place we haven't looked yet."

Ex keyed up the computer, looking over the last five days of notes. "She was even stupid enough to put the evidence into her files." She read a bit on last night, and blushed. "Well, Ma-Ti and Laura are going to love this. She found the whole experience pathetic."

Reed groaned. "Alright, let's go and get our hands on this woman. You and you," he said, pointing at two of his men, "bracket the door. She tries to get out, restrain her. Understand?"

"Yes, sir."

Reed quickly hit the door button, standing ready for anything.

The door slid open, revealing the bedroom...an nothing else.

Reed cursed. "We've been had, sir. The place has been abandoned for some time."

Peorth almost smacked herself. "She's on the island already."

"But how?" Sloane asked.

Now Reed almost slapped himself. "She set up camp at the apartment during Sakar's attack, probably after killing her 'experiments'. In all of the confusion, she slipped onto one of the shuttles. None of us had ever seen her before, and the Planeteers went straight to the Crystal Chamber when they got here."

Archer barely suppressed a groan. That meant they had to physically search every single part of the island, while the gods flew overhead, keeping their senses trained on the ground, and on defense. "Gaia, do you have a picture of Blight that we can use?" Gaia nodded. "Create copies of it, and pass it out to my security forces and Yggdrasil's Sentinals. We're going to have to sweep the island for her."

"You'll have them by the end of the day," the Spirit of the Earth promised, quickly exiting the dump that had been the Planeteer's most relentless opponent.

Archer glared at the laboratory. "Crate everything in here, and ship it to the Environmental Agency's main offices in Washington, as well as pictures of the corpse's," he ordered. "We're going to put an end to this right now."

"Aye, sir," Reed replied, restraining a snarl from emerging from his lips.

* * *

Darconda entered the command center, where Sakar and Galaxia were in conversation. "Well, to say that Janet hasn't forgotten would be a bit of an understatement."

Sakar nodded. "You knew the risks when you agreed to this. Now, as you were saying, Galaxia..."

"Drey'auc's resistance to the mind probe is considerable. It'll be some time before we can extract any information from her," the Golden Senshi picked up smoothly, like she had never been interrupted.

Sakar was about inquire about that resistance, when a Jaffa approached him. "My apologies for the intrusion. The final checkout is complete. All systems are operational. What course shall we set?"  
Sakar grinned, a sudden idea coming to him. "Perhaps she'll respond to... an alternative method of persuasion."

"What do you mean?" Darconda demanded.

"I say that it is time to demonstrate the full power of this weapon. Set your course for Chulak."

"With pleasure."

* * *

Trip finished looking over the files Carter had compiled on Naquadah research. "Incredible. To think that there're species out there that can create stable fusion, and contain it in a small casing. We need a warp core half the size of Main Engineering to generate half this much power."

"It is mind boggling," T-Pol agreed, setting another folder down. "On the other hand, this type of technology is also more dangerous than nuclear, or warp power in its destructive capability." She shook her head. "I'm glad the US government decided to keep this program secret from the rest of the world. Other nations would want all of this, and it would escalate into disaster." She sighed, sitting down. "But this so much to take in, even for a vulcan."  
Trip looked up. "T-Pol, are you alright? You don't seem so... vulcany as you usually are."

The First officer looked up, eyes twinkling. "'Vulcany?' For some reason, Trip, I don't think that's a word." Looking around, she spotted Carter's family photos, and went to inspect them. "Ever since we entered this realm, I have been experiencing...an emotional awakening of sorts." She tried to smile, though her muscles showed how inexperienced she was at that. "It hasn't interfered with my logic, and I'm not having any violent moodswings, so I can rule out Vulcan biology."

"You...just suddenly had the urge to smile?" Trip asked.

T-Pol surprised them both by chuckling a bit. "No, but I suddenly have these emotions, and my emotional control hasn't been weakened in any way. It's like...I've always had them, but never let them show." She paused. "I also feel shy around you."

Now that Trip looked at her, he did se a bit of a greenish tinge on her cheeks. "Subcomannder T-Pol, I do believe you're blushing."

The greenish tinge deepened. "And I can't seem to stop it," she murmured. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"Well, how's about you tell me what you want to do, right at this moment. I'll tell you if there's somethin' wrong with you."

"Would wanting to kiss you count?" she asked timidly.

And, before either of them could think this through, she moved over to where he was, and kissed him briefly, before pulling back, flushing dark olive now.

Trip's mouth opened and closed for several moments, before he regained his common sense, face a fetching maroon.

"Well?" T-Pol asked nervously.

Trip finally grinned. "Well, whatever's wrong with you, I like it." His grin went a little mischievous. "But, I think we gotta work on your smile a little."

"My smile is just fine, thank you very much."

"Yeah, I saw that." Trip showed her how she looked like when she smiled, forcing a laugh out of her. "Looks more like part of a bad miming incident."

"See if I ever confide in you again."

The banter would have continued on that vein for a while longer, had it not been for the two of them both looking at the door, as a set of footsteps came down the hallway, moving as if in a hurry.

Then they saw who it was, and it was surprising.

Janet Fraiser stormed past the door, furious beyond imagination. Her fists were clenched so tightly that she was cutting grooves into her own palms, and smoke was literally pouring out of her ears. And to cap it all off, she looked like she was going to spontaneously attack someone.

About three minutes later, Lily stopped in front of the doorway, looking worried. "Commander, Subcommander, have you seen Doctor Fraiser?" she asked.

T-Pol nodded. "She stormed by here a few moments ago," she replied. "What happened?"

Lily sighed. "It's a long story. Suffice to say, she hasn't had a good day."

"What's down the hall?" Trip asked.

"The Training Room..." The Guardian smacked herself in the head. "Duh! That's where anyone goes when they want to work out some aggression. Thanks." She started down the hall again.

The two crewmates stared at each other. "Well, isn't this a problem?" Trip asked rhetorically.

T-Pol nodded wryly. "I have no doubt this will sort itself out with no help from us." She frowned. "But we should get back to _Enterprise_, if for no other reason than to see how our departments are doing without us looking over their shoulders."

"I don't look over my people's shoulder's!"

"Yeah? What were you doing last week then?"

"Micromanaging."

T-Pol laughed.

* * *

"_The_ Peter Pan?" Kimsi echoed.

Wendy glared at him, but refrained from a biting sarcastic retort. Instead, she replied, with good old fashion English politeness, "Yes, that Peter Pan. And I am Wendy Moira Angela Darling." She turned to Gi. "I would really like to know how this J.M. Barrie knew about us."

Gi shrugged. "Maybe he's a Lost Boy who left."

"Yeah, maybe he was psychic." Wheeler leaned back. "Look, we're not here to discuss the accuracy of one of Earth's greatest fairytale stories. We're here to discuss our next move." He leaned back. "So let's discuss our next move."

Peter rolled his eyes a bit, grinning slightly. He liked Wheeler. He had a great deal of charisma, and he wasn't afraid to state his opinion to anyone.

Maybourne nodded. "NID is being mobilized, even as we speak. There'll be a task force here in twelve hours to help protect the mountain. All non essential personnel are being evacuated to the Alpha Site now, and we're still mobilizing our armed forces."

Athena nodded. "Yggdrasil is at full alert status. The Network is searching the entire planet for Sakar's whereabouts, but so far, nothing yet."

"Belldandy will be disappointed," Linka muttered.

"Too true," Archer said, entering the room. "Blight's somewhere on the island, but she's cloaked herself from both Gaia and Heaven. I'm having _Enterprise_ scan the island, so we might turn up something."

Thor nodded. "I shall add my efforts on that search. The Asgard fleet has arrived, so I can divert my attention to this."

Hammond shook his head. "The Sunak's allowing us to prepare our defense. Why?"

"They want Gaia," Kwame stated. "Not the human race. They'll destroy us because we're living on Earth, but they want to give us a fighting chance."

"That's the Tok'ra's thought, too." Jacob sat back. "Our technicians and planners have arrived, and they're starting to formulate a defensive strategy, as well as checking over the defenses of the SGC."  
"I have Jaffa who believe as I do," Bre-tac added. "They are only a few hundred, but their hearts are in the right place. They shall come through the Stargate in seven hours."  
Peter whistled. "I thought you guys were a dying bred."

"We are, for the most part, enslaved."

The eternal youth was sorry he had brought that up. "Sorry."

The Jaffa master bowed, taking the apology. "You did not know."

Qui Gon nodded. "Perhaps I'll head through the gate to Coruscant, and request assistance from the Jedi Council."

Hammond frowned. "It won't be enough. Twelve Asgard vessels and _Enterprise_ won't be able to stop them for long. Ideas?"

Carter stood up. "Sir, we could modify several warheads to include Naquadah cores instead of Plutonium. It'll increase the destructive capabilities of them, and may penetrate the Sunak's shields."

"How many?"

"About a dozen. Any we don't have a need for will be deactivated, and the Naquadah removed."

"I'll send the recommendation to the President." The general stood up. "Now, until we get confirmation, you have some free time. Use it well."

Qui Gon got up, bowed to Hammond. "Wendy, let's get your training started."

"Yes, Master."

* * *

Janet stormed into the Training Room, ripping her jacket off and throwing to the side. Stepping up to the punching bag, she started throwing lightning fast blows at it, fists moving at a blinding speed. After a few moments, the punching bag finally gave in to the strain, and broke off it's chains, flying to hit the far wall.

Breathing hard, Janet tried to control her feelings, to calm the pulsing rage that still poured through her veins like poison. _'Hatred can devour the purest of hearts,' _she thought, remembering Guardian Hameras's first lesson back at Zion Academy. _'It is also a path that will lead to your destruction.'_

Calming down slightly, she began stretching. Afterwards, she went through a battle exercise that she hadn't practiced since she had come to this Earth Realm. But her mind was unfocused, caught up in memories of the past, and she began screwing up.

Potter came to the door as Janet fell to the ground again, having mistimed a jump kick. She watched as the SGC doctor punched the floor in frustration, before getting back up, ready to go through it again. "Wanna spar?" she asked.

Janet turned to her, not really surprised. "I'm not very good company right now, Lily." She started punching the air. "I used to be able to do this flawlessly. I'm worse now than I was at the beginning of my training."

Potter's worried look deepened as she sat down. "Janet, you weren't an Air Force major before. You didn't have a child to look after. And you certainly didn't have a reason to hate."

Janet whirled, her foot going in a roundhouse kick, coming down harder than she wanted. She stumbled, her movement's disrupted. "Damn it!"

"Janet, you're way too tense. And your mind is cluttered."

"I know. I...just didn't think that he'd find me."

"That's right," a new voice interceded, "you didn't think."

Both ladies turned to see James standing at the door, staring at Janet. "James..." Lily started warningly.

"Stay out of this, Lily."

Lily heard the tone of her husband's voice, and realized that he was serious. Quieting down, she leaned back, watching him.

Janet stared at him. "What exactly do you mean?" she asked quietly, still itching to wreck something.

James glared at her. "You could have remained in Zion, gotten all of the help you could have wanted. And what's this I hear that you told Lily you never received a vision of your Trial."

Janet took a breath. "Alania didn't want to send Guardians in. It's in her public files."

"That _was_ your Trial."

"Well, it was news to me."

James frowned. "Regardless, I have something here from the government, by my recommendation." He handed Janet an envelope. Janet took it, opened it, and read the letter.

A full minute later, her head rose up, the rage even closer. "You son of a bitch," she breathed. "What the hell are you playing at?"

"I'm not playing at anything," James replied. "Your orders are simple. These orders come directly from Guardian Tieranos. You are to take on this mission, and then report to Zion immediately."

Janet turned around, her hand crushing the letter. "I answer to General Hammond and the United States, not to the Guardians. Not anymore."

"You will never be unanswerable to the Guardians, Janet," James retorted. "You signed, in your training, and in your field assignment, a permanent contract, breakable only through death. You have no choice." He straightened to his full height. "Do I need to remind you that you are a Trainee?"

Janet flung herself forward, hands outstretched like claws, aiming for James's throat.

She quickly found herself slammed against the wall, her arms pinned to her sides, James staring at her. "Janet, I don't care if you don't like the idea or not. I have my orders, and so do you. And if you-"

He was cut off when Janet head butted him. Her feet came up, pushing hard, breaking his hold on her. She immediately moved forward, her fists plowing into his face. An animalistic roar emerged from her throat as she pummeled him, venting her frustration on him.

Potter quickly moved, grabbing her friend's arm's, and pulling her back. "Janet! He's just doing his job! Janet, calm down!"  
Slowly, Janet's struggles lessened. "Alright, you can let me go," she said. "I'm fine."

Potter released her, standing warily away. "James, are you okay?"  
James regained his balance, shaking his head. "I'll assume that was a rhetorical question," he replied. "And I probably deserved that. I also know that you needed an outlet for your anger. You ever attack me again, though, and your head will roll. Got it?"

"Got it." She sighed. "Alright, I do this mission, and report back to Zion for debriefing. After that, you leave me, and my friends, alone. Got it?"

"Fair enough."

* * *

Sakar glared at the planet that had been selected for the test firing of his new weapon, waiting for Galaxia to deliver the prisoner to the command center. He wanted to get back to Earth, so he could finally finish off Sloane and his counterpart.

As if to give him some peace, Galaxia entered, Drey-auc in tow. Behind them, several Agents and Darconda stood ready in case she tried something.

Drey'auc observed the Rogue Spirit. "Sakar. I thought you were the one who held this sho'va's leash. I thought I smelled your foul stench when I was brought onboard."

Sakar smiled ingratiatingly. "Charming, to the last. You don't know how difficult it was to sign the certificate ordering your death."

"I am surprised that you had the courage to do that yourself."  
The Death Dealer lost his smile. "Drey'auc, before your execution, I would like you to participate in the christening that will make this new weapon of mine fully operational. No longer will I need to use my own strength to accomplish my goal."

"The more your tighten your grip," Drey'auc shot back boldly, "the more beings will slip through your fingers. My people will have freedom from the false ones."

"Not after we demonstrate the power of this weapon. In a way, you personally selected the target for us." In a show of utter disdain, Sakar turned his back on the Jaffa woman, and walked to the screen. "Since you're reluctant to give Galaxia what she wants, I shall test the full power of this station on your homeworld of Chulak."

Drey'auc's eyes widened. "No...Chulak is peaceful. Many of them are loyal to the Goa'uld. We have no weapons-"

"You prefer another target?" Sakar shot back. "A military target? Then give us what we want!" He stepped forward, forcing Drey'auc back into Galaxia's grip. "I grow tired of asking this, so it will be for the last time...how do we get to the land of eternal youth?"

Drey'auc weighed her options in, looked at her homeworld, and grimaced. "Hur ja ta, kreel foas tal..."

"There, you see, Galaxia? She can be reasonable with the proper motivation." Sakar grinned. "Continue your prepaations. You may fire when ready."

_"What?!"_ Drey'auc shrieked.

"You're far too trusting. Apophis had already given us permission to use Chulak as an example to all who dare defy their gods. Besides, Neverland is too remote to be an effective demonstration, but don't worry, we will have the child that got away from Sokor soon enough."

"No..." Drey'auc struggled with all of her might, but she couldn't break Galaxia's hold. She could only watch, helpless, as Sakar's weapon fired a single burst of energy at her home.

The energy burst struck home, drilling into the core of Chulak. All across the planet, the Jaffa civilians began praying to Apophis, begging for his forgiveness, preaching their loyalty. But it was all in vain.

Chulak exploded, it's core destabilized by the power of Sakar's Death Star, a power that made even the Empire's Sun Crusher look weak in comparison. It had been a drastically weaker blast than Sakar had wanted, but it was enough to destroy a planet.

Sakar stared at Drey'au, who had tears now falling down her cheeks. "Send her to an escape pod," he said casually, like he was doing her a favor. "A Guardian will be along shortly, that I promise you. Apophis, consider this a gift that I may take back from you when I see fit." He stretched. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some unfinished business on Earth."

He vanished, as two serpent soldiers dragged Drey'auc's grieving form out of the room.

* * *

Wendy's eyes focused on the practice droid in front of her, blocking precision blaster bolts with her lightsaber. The droid, created from the ether by Potter, was the first lesson Qui Gon had for her.

Master...even now, it sounded strange to her. But she knew that it meant that she was an apprentice. _'Kind of like a magician,' _she thought, a bit of her usual happiness showing through. It sounded like a grand adventure. And the adventures Qui Gon must have been on, it certainly boggled the mind.

As she thought about all of this, both Qui Gon and her mother, who were both watching her practice, suddenly staggered back, as if they had been pushed suddenly. Wendy stopped as a massive cry suddenly made itself present in her head. Deactivating her lightsaber, she sat down, feeling cold.

John looked up, suddenly concerned. "Mother? Wendy?" he asked. "Are you alright?"

Wendy almost started shivering. "I feel... cold." She looked up. "Cold as death."

"There was a great disturbance in the Force," Mary said, looking positively shaken. "It was as if a thousand voices suddenly cried out in terror, and were silenced just as swiftly... I fear something dreadful has happened."

Qui Gon gestured, taking a shuddering breath. "You... better get back to your training, Wendy."

"Yes, Master." Wendy took a deep breath, and stood up again, reactivating her blade again, and stood ready.

The droid, which had been docile when she had stopped, suddenly started up again, swerving in an erratic pattern, never being in the same place at any given time. Wendy followed its movements, muscles ready to uncoil.

"Remember, Wendy," Qui Gon mentioned, " let the Force guide your hand."

"You mean it will keep me centered?"

"Partially, but it will also guide your actions."

Wendy nodded, slowly breathing in and out, opening a current into the Force. Unfortunately, the droid, who wasn't Force sensitive, and probably didn't like glowing blue blades, chose that exact moment to shoot. It hit her leg, breaking her concentration. With a yelp of pain, Wendy almost started jumping up and own, but refrained. _'A lady never shows discomfort in the presence of a full room,' _Millicent's instructions wafted through her mind.

It didn't seem enough, as a snort of laughter was heard. She turned to see Jack sitting at a table, drinking a cup of coffee. "Ancient religions and laser swords aren't a match when you've got a good automatic on your side," he said.

Wendy deactivated her weapon again, holding it limply in her hand. "You don't believe in the Force, do you?"

The Air Force Colonel leaned back. "Kid, I've been to other worlds, on space ships, and seen things out of this world right here on Earth. But I have never seen anything that makes me believe that there is some all powerful Force controlling everything." He grinned. "There isn't anything out there controlling my destiny."

"For that, Colonel, we should be thankful," Qui Gon retorted, before picking up a helmet. "I suggest that you try it again, my young Padawan, but let go of your conscious self," he placed it on her head, "and act on instinct."

"But, with the visor down, I can't even see," Wendy protested. "How am I supposed to fight?"

"You eyes can deceive you. Don't trust them."

Wendy sighed, and reactivated her lightsaber again, bringing it up in a defensive position. Everyone who was in the room became interested, with even Jack leaning forward.

The droid, picking up the threat, began its movements again, firing again, pegging her in her armpit. She shook her arm out, her mouth pressed into a thin line.

"Remember, feel the Force flow through you."

Wendy nodded, both hands on the lightsaber, letting the Force flow through her. She stood, listening.

She suddenly heard the thing fire four times, and moved her blade. Not to where she thought the blast's would go. Instead, the Force directed her hand to where they would be. And she did it.

Wendy deflected four blasts in rapid succession, then five more after a moment. It became easier and easier with each volley.

Qui Gon stared in amazement as the droid ramped up its own difficulty. Not at the fact it could do that, but by the fact that Wendy was one step ahead of it, and getting better at an accelerated rate. "Okay, Wendy, I think the poor machine's at its highest level." He chuckled as Wendy pulled the helmet off, looking extremely amazed. "You see, you can do it."

"I call it luck," Jack said.

Mary turned to him. "In our experience, there is no such thing as luck," she replied.

"Hey, good against a machine, that's one thing. Good against the living... that's something else." The Colonel turned his head as someone entered. "Carter."

Sam hesitated. "Sir, we have a problem."

* * *

The Gate began its tenth attempt at dialing a particular world. Nothing that they had to be overly concerned about under normal circumstances... except it was a world they had been to several times.

"I decided to send in SG's 1, 4, and 9 to try again," Hammond explained as they walked up the stairwell into the Control Room. "But every time we attempt to dial Chulak, it stops at the last chevron for some reason."

"Malfunction?" Qui Gon asked, a sudden suspicion forming.

"Several gate diagnostics say the Gate's working fine."

"So what's the problem?" Jack asked.

Hammond looked at Bre-tac. "We think something might have happened to the Chulak Stargate, but we don't know what. Mister Potter has gone to investigate. We should hear from him in a few minutes."

"Is it not possible that Apophis had the Stargate removed when we had returned through it?" Teal'c asked.

Mary shook her head. "I have the feeling that it will not be that simple."

James flew directly towards Chulak's last known position, his eyes crimping a bit in concern. He had an exceedingly bad feeling that he wasn't going to like what he saw. Pushing it out to the back of his head, he prepared to drop from lightspeed. Yes, drop from lightspeed. Guardians can do anything, even breathe in space, and achieve faster than light speeds.

And drop he did... right into the middle of a meteor shower. "What the-?" he managed to get out, quickly dodging wayward rocks. Not because they could hurt him, but because of the fact that it scrambled communications.

_"James, what's going on?" _Lily asked.

"I just showed up into the middle of a meteor shower!" James swerved, finally coming to a stop and creating a shield around himself. "It isn't in any charts for this universe!"

_"Well, what?"_

"My position is correct, except... no Chulak."

_"What?!"_

James stared around in disbelief. "That's what I'm trying to tell you, love. It's been wiped off the face of Existence."

"How is this possible?" Teal'c's voice inquired, anguish plain in his tone.

"I think..." James took a breath. "I think Sakar is behind this."

"If that's the case," Hammond stated. _"you might want to..."_

Hammond stated. 

"Hold on." The Guardian's gaze shifted through the debris. "I think I found something. I'll get back to you when I have more information. Potter out." He flew over to the object he had seen, and observed it. An escape pod. He stretched out his sense, felt the presence of a humanoid female, felt the presence of a Goa'uld larvae, decided that it was a Jaffa. He quickly formed an atmosphere around the small lifeboat, and pried the door open.

The Jaffa woman looked up, staring at him in fear and grief. "If you are here to kill me, do so," she simply said.

James blinked. "Sorry, madam. I think you have me mistaken for the Death Dealer. I am friend of the Taur'i, and of Teal'c."

"You know my husband?"

He cursed in Romulan. "Come on," he said, gently helping her out of the pod. "Don't worry. You'll be with your family soon."

Once Drey'auc was firmly secure in his arms, he used Instant Transmission, teleporting back to the SGC.

* * *

"It was... terrible," Drey'auc said, trembling, remembering the helplessness, the shame. "I was there, right there, and yet... I could nothing."

Janet finished her examination, nodding to herself. "She's fine, physically. But I'm not a psychologist."

"I'm more concerned about what she informed us about." Hammond squared his shoulders. "Do what you can, Doctor." He motioned for Jack, Archer, James and Kwame to follow him. "The ramifications of this are staggering. If Sakar has created a weapon every bit as powerful as himself, and has given it to the Goa'uld..."  
"We are in a world of trouble." Kwame took a breath. "Mister Potter, what is this mission that Doctor Fraiser going on?"  
James frowned. "A simple recon mission," he replied. "Zion Mortal Intelligence intercepted a package from the CIS to the Negaverse, pertaining to a few unusually strong Trainees on Realm 3401." He observed their expressions. "It's a parallel Earth that just finished going through World War II. The purported Trainee in question is a young girl named... Jane Barrington, I think."

"And the other?" Archer asked.

"That's the thing... Alania didn't say. I think she's afraid of a communication leak." The Guardian grinned. "Guardian technology is superior to most others, but it's just technology. But, personally, I think she believes that it's her lost son."

"Ah." Hammond frowned. "I think the Jedi should come with you, as well as SG-1."

"Uh, General," Jack suddenly interrupted. "Not to try and trample over your mighty authority or anything like that, but do you really think they need our help?"

"Actually, I'd appreciate it a great deal. If the Deadly Alliance is interested in this child, then they'll send more than just their own soldiers. They will send Empowered. Captain Carter has a long history battling those people as a teenager. Lily and I are planning to take our charges with us."

Kwame nodded. "In the meantime, Peorth is allowing _Enterprise_ to enter Heaven for upgrades and the like."

"That'll-"

"Sir!"  
The four of them turned to see Janet standing there. "Doctor?" Hammond inquired.

Janet stood up. "There is a reason why they wanted Drey'auc. Have any of you seen Peter or Wendy?"

Jack, who was obviously smarter than he acted, figured it out in under two seconds. "Oh, for crying out loud!"

* * *

_"What?"_ Wendy practically shrieked. _"They know how to get to Neverland?"_

The walls shook. The medical equipment buzzed angrily. Daniel backed off several feet.

Drey'auc eyed the young girl suspiciously. "Yes... how is it that you know of the land of eternal childhood?"  
"I've been there. I'm friends with its protector!" Wendy turned around. "General, we need to leave, now! We have to get troops, ships-!"

"Wendy!" Qui Gon said, his voice never raising, though still obtaining his young charge's attention. "Perhaps you could tell those of us who don't know what Neverland is... what it is exactly."  
Wendy took a breath, calming down a bit. "Neverland is Peter Pan's home," she said at length. "It is a place of natural beauty, with creatures that do not exist on Earth."

"And how is it that you know of all of this? How is it that you were once there?" Teal'c asked. "The place you speak of is known only in Jaffa legend."

Wendy smiled a bit. "I told stories. Peter listened to them outside the window."

"It's a long a story, Drey'auc," Daniel stated.

"But hold on." Peter stared at Teal'c. "How is it the _Jaffa_ know about Neverland?"

Teal'c appeared uncomfortable for a second. "The land you speak of is a place where immortality is assured to those who wish it. Where honor is obtained through more than combat. Drey'auc's family has passed the story down through the generations, since the day's of the Goa'uld's oppression of your world." He hesitated. "It is believed that a harsesis child was born of Sokor and an alien female he had captured, to serve as his new host. The alien woman escaped, though, and found a way to send the child to a safe zone. Since then, Sokor has scoured the galaxy, searching for this safe zone."

"But," Drey'auc continued, "my ancestor's witnessed this, and kept the story alive, as well as the phrase in which to enter it. There was an ancient scroll in our old home, which I read to my family. A little ball of light appeared in _Gorcal_, taking the child away."

"Roughly translated, the gardens," Daniel supplied. "Or the ancient Egyptian's version of one, anyways."

Wendy's eyes widened, as she remembered her conversation with Peter, in the nursery...

----

"How old are you?" Wendy asked, as she put the acorn, Peter's 'kiss', onto a thread.

Peter looked around. "Quite young," he replied, stooping to look inside the doll house.

"Don't you know?"

"I ran away, when I was young." He stroked one of the beds, a wistful expression on his face . "One day, I heard my parent's talking about what I was going to be when I became a man." His expression darkened for a moment, as if he remembered something unpleasant, before brightening. "So I ran away to Kensington Gardens, where I met Tink." He touched a strange box, which launched something up. He quickly pulled his dagger out.

Wendy turned around. "Tink?" She almost giggled at Peter, preparing to fight her brother's Jack in the box.

"Tinkerbell. She's my fairy..."

----

'Could it be that Peter is that child?' Wendy asked herself, turning to him. He had the most puzzling expression on his face, as if he was trying to remember something he had forgotten. Not surprising, considering the fact that he always had a hard time remembering anything. She also discovered that it didn't really matter to her at all.

Peter shook his head. "I don't know about any child ever being brought to Neverland by a fairy, besides myself. As far as I know, I'm the only one who has ever been picked up by a fairy."

Teal'c turned a speculative eye towards the young man. "Then it is perhaps you Galaxia seeks."

"You'd think Sakar would have told her."

"Unless it's not just Galaxia wanting in," Janet said. "The Goa'uld have been looking for a way to become true immortals, Sokor more so than any of the others. Neverland would give them that, as well as a veritable fortress that no one could enter."

"And with the Goa'uld truly united for the first time, that would be a very bad thing," James added.

Peter nodded. "Captain, how long would it take to upgrade _Enterprise_?" he asked Archer.

"About six hours." Archer stared at him. "Why?"

"Mrs. Potter, what is the current time frame movement for that realm you're sending Doctor Fraiser?"  
"Slow enough for six hours to pass, especially if you want to spend a few weeks there."

"Alright. You've got anymore room on that mission for an eternal youth looking for the origins of his past?"

Potter grinned. "Sure, why not? The more, the merrier."

* * *

"And how," Wheeler asked, tugging on his jacket, "did we get stuck babysitting you, my sister?"

Katie shrugged. "I don't know, my brother. All I know is that Mrs. Potter wants me on the team. Probably because I'm an Empowered."

"That would do it," Linka agreed. "James, is everyone here?"

James grinned as SG-1 entered. "They are now." He turned as the Stargate activated. "Alright, simple recon. We aren't expecting anything to go wrong, but at the same time..."

Qui Gon nodded. "It's always best to be prepared."  
Mary gestured. "Shall we?"

"We shall." The group entered the Gate...

...and reemerged to face a group of shocked teenagers, all who looked like they had swallowed a canary.

Jack grinned. "Howdy, kids!" he said in greeting.

The lead one, a girl with reddish hair cut to her chin, stepped up, glaring at them defiantly. "Hi," she replied in a British accent. "Who the bleeding hell are you, and what was that?"

Wendy stepped forward. "I'm Wendy," she said, smiling slightly. "And, you are...?"  
The girl stared at her. "Jane," she finally replied. "Why do you dress so weird?"

Mary's eyes widened, while Sam gave a slight moan.

"Look whose talking?" Wendy retorted hotly.

"And we are all getting along so well," Linka commented dryly. "You said your name is Jane, _da_?"

"Yes." Jane eyed her suspiciously. "Are you Soviet spies?"

"_Nyet_, though I am Russian. The others are English and American... mostly."

Teal'c's eyebrow arched. "Indeed. Perhaps introductions may be made as we head for civilization."

"And an explanation," James added. "You see, we need to talk to your parents, Jane. It's important."

"Ah. Come on, then."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

In orbit of Earth, just beyond the invisible sensors of Yggdrasil, an alien probe began its second sweep of the Terran Solar system. Its purpose was clear; to observe the Asgard fleet, the Earth itself, and _Enterprise_, which was moving towards a set of coordinates, its own sensors sweeping the space directly in front of it, looking for something that wasn't even there.

Then something appeared as they did so. A massive ring appeared, a dark purple Stargate with red cartages. It spun serenely in place, one of the most bizzare objects to be seen in space by any of them.

"This Stargate is almost thousand times bigger than the one in the SGC," Reed reported. "It could hold thousands of ships our size with little difficulty."

"What about its power rating?" Archer asked.

"Power rating... five hundred percent beyond ours."

The Captain of the _Enterprise_ turned. "And this is how we're going to get into Heaven?"

Peorth nodded passively, though her eyes shined with anticipation. "Because of the fact that we goddesses use household items, like CD's, televisions, mirrors, etc, etc, we've never had a need for the Stargate. So we kept it hidden from the people on the surface until they had evolved a bit more."

Hoshi and T-Pol traded patronizing looks. "My people are arrogant?" the Vulcan asked.

"They never could hold a candle to gods," Hoshi replied. "They are the epitome of arrogance."

Urd looked at them. "I can hear you," she said.

"Your point?"

Archer grinned. God-Humanoid relations were off to a good start.

"I have a stupid question," Trip mentioned. "How do we activate it?"

Peorth walked over to the science station. "Well, the modifications I had Ere make to your deflector dish will allow you to dial the gate. I put the address into your memory banks, so it won't be a problem."

Archer gestured. "T-Pol, dial the address," he ordered.

"Aye, sir."

With that, Archer settled back in his chair, and watched as the gate's inner circle began spinning.

_

* * *

"We still don't have anything, Gaia," Clash reported. __"If Blight's here, she's hiding very well."_ Clash reported. 

Gaia rubbed her eyes. "What about the forest? The waterfall?"

_"Nothing. If she's here, she's probably still among the refugees."_

"Thanks." The Spirit of Earth cut the connection, turning around. "Ex? Belldandy? Could you take Laura and Lily and check the refugees again? She's probably still hiding among them."

Ere nodded. "I'll do what I can, ma'am," she said, bowing before leaving. Meanwhile, Gaia began observing Hope Island once more. She had many reasons to dislike Blight. After all, the woman once made her powerless, then had the audacity to switch their bodies so she could use her powers. But Lily had good reason to hate her.

Blight had almost killed James in his first mission.

* * *

The Stargate's final chevron clicked into place, just before _Enterprise's _deflector dish returned to normal operations. Energy visibly began collecting to the center of the circle, signaling the creation of the event horizon, as the inner circle began to rotate rapidly. Then the Stargate exploded outward in the usual way.

"Stargate is stable," T-Pol reported.

Archer nodded. "Take us in, Travis."

"Aye, sir." Travis eased the great ship forward, thrusters pushing it forward, as Asgeard ships continued their circling of Earth, two of them taking up positions on either side of the chaaap'ai. _Enterprise _moved forward, her frame looking rather bulky compared to the sleek alien vessels on either side. But she moved forward with more purpose than any of them. She slipped through the gate-

-to reappear in a sea of clouds and blue sky.

Archer grinned. He and his crew were literally going where no one had ever gone before. Another reality, and now to Heaven. Definitely something he was going to be taking notes about for the next science symposium he went to. First things first, though... "Report."

T-Pol scanned the immediate vicinity around the ship, her eyebrow climbing. "Sensors are detecting an atmosphere."

Archer nodded, not surprised. "Travis?"

Travis checked his controls. "No resistance. It's like we're still in space."

Archer nodded again. "Peorth, which direction?"

Peorth grinned. "Turn to bearing 250, Mark 224. It'll take you directly to the space dock we built."

"You got it."

_Enterprise _turned in the direction that Peorth had given, heading for the city.

* * *

Kwame maneuvered the Geo Sub around the island, checking for any underwater passageways. Gaia had told them that there were none, but Belldandy had wanted to be sure. Hence, the physical inspection.

"I still don't have anything on the sonar," Gi said, eyes intent on the screen. "Radar's not picking up anything, either." She looked up. "I think Gaia's right."

Kwame looked at her. "We still have one last area to check out. After that, we' re done." He moved the sub forward, stopping upon reaching their destination. "Full stop."

"Initiating radar and sonar sweeps." The Water Planeteer performed the necessary adjustments, then set the alert. "Geez, I'm hungry. What's in the cooler?"

Kwame quickly moved over to it, pulling the top up. "I see sandwiches." He pulled out one, and a can of soda. "Here. Have a ham and cheese," he said, tossing the two items to her, before getting a sandwich for himself.

Gi got out of her seat, and plopped herself next to her boyfriend, taking a bite out of her food. She swallowed in surprise. "I never knew that you could make a sandwich a taste sensation," she murmured in surprise.

Kwame took a bite out of his, and chewed. "Millicent certainly knows what she is doing. She's as good as Wheeler."

"Let's ask her if she wants a job as a chef."

"When we get back to the surface."

The two ate in comfortable silence, not needing words to try and bridge the cultural gap between them. That gap had been bridged years ago, when Wheeler had made his choice. It struck the two of them how much the Fire Planeteer meant to them all. He was the glue that held them all together, the one who could get them to laugh, who could surprise them at the drop of a hat. And he was always there for them, regardless. He was their heart, their soul.

And he and Linka weren't here to help them.

"So," Gi said, finishing off her drink, "we have about an hour before the scans are complete. We have brought nothing to do, and we're in an enclosed space." She grinned. "What do we do?"

Kwame looked at her. "Well, we can talk about anything and everything, we can both take a nap, or we can think of something."

"And what, exactly, are you thinking about right now?"

"Um, I choose to invoke my right to remain silent... among other things."

"Uh, huh." Gi was not so easily swayed. "Come on, Kwame, we've always been honest with each other. You can tell me anything." She looked down, taking note of his discomfort. "Oh..." Her blush easily could work for both of them. "I see."  
"Now, you know." Kwame tossed his sandwich wrapper into the small trash bin. "I think I'll-"

Gi, moving faster than he would have thought possible, was quickly straddling him, kissing him ferociously. Before he could even think about reasoning with her, his hands were on her hips, holding her to him.

Gi broke off, panting. "Can you guess what I want to do?" she asked, her voice sounding remarkably calm, considering what she had just done.

Kwame grinned. "Alright, you win." He drew her back to him, claiming her mouth again.

Thankfully, nothing interrupted them.

* * *

Gods and goddesses pointed upward, staring in awe at the sight above their city. That, of course, being the sight of an Earth vessel flying overhead, a contingent of Sentinel's in formation around her. Heading for a structure looked out of place among the graceful slopes and curves of Heaven's city.

"Hoshi, hailing frequencies," Archer ordered. "You're up, Peorth."

Peorth nodded, stepping forward. "Spacedock, this Goddess First Class Peorth onboard starship _Enterprise._ Requesting permission to dock."

_"Permission granted, _Enterprise_. And welcome home, Peorth."_

Malcolm whistled. "Incredible. That has got to be the largest artificial structure I have ever seen."

"But, why'd you build it?" Trip asked.

Peorth grinned. "This is part of a wish Belldandy granted to someone several years back," she replied, as the massive doors opened. "The young lady worked alongside us until she disappeared, acting as a supervisor." The grin became a small smile. "She made the wish, not for herself, but for the planet, not to be unveiled until the thirtieth century."

Archer turned. "Why then?"

"She wouldn't say."

"Who was she?"

Peorth's smile became mysterious. "That's none of your business, Captain."

T-Pol quickly stifled a chuckle, trading an amused look with Trip before turning her attention back to the screen, watching the artificial cave approach.

_Enterprise_ slid smoothly through the Spacedock entrance, entering something more familiar to the crew. They observed the god and goddess technicians flitting every which way, obviously placing the finishing touches on the interior. All the operational lights were on, and there were shuttles floating around, all heading towards the only other ship in the area.

Hoshi whistled. "Would you look at that?"

The ship was obviously more advanced, and larger, its saucer section connected to a secondary hull by a thin neck. Nacelles twice as long as _Enterprise_ were attached to two long pylons, angling away from the ship. A thing of beauty, for anyone whose interest in engineering was beyond passing.

Peorth's smile became proud. "My friends, the Great Experiment... the _U.S.S. Constitution._ Ready for trial runs." She turned. "It has a top speed of Warp Eight Point Five."

"Eight Point Five?" Trip echoed. "If my Grandma had wheels, she'd be a wagon."

"Come on, Trip." Archer turned in his seat, wagging a finger at his best friend. "Young minds, fresh ideas. Think positively."

Trip chuckled as Mayweather executed a graceful turn to starboard, heading for one of the working docking ports. Port thrusters activated, slowly moving the great vessel into the optimal docking position. Several more tweaks, and about a minute later, _Enterprise_ stopped, connecting with the airlock.

Archer got up. "Lieutenant Janz, you have the bridge. Senior staff..."

Nothing more was needed.

* * *

Hammond took a look at the status sheet. "Insufficient data."

Walter nodded. "They checked every section of the island. Two of the Planeteers took their sub to check underneath for any hidden caves that escaped Gaia's notice. So far, nothing's come up."

Hammond sighed. "Doctor Blight is notorious for hiding for extensive periods of time. We can only wait for her to resurface." He frowned. "I'll call Admiral Frost to send in three submarines to help in the search. It's not like it'll weaken our defenses in any way against the Sunak. In the meantime, Walter, I want you to contact the Tolan, and ask for reinforcements."

"I'll do what I can, sir."

* * *

Karken watched in confusion as gods and goddesses swarmed Hope Island, obviously searching for something. First _Enterprise_ entering the Supergate, now this. "What the _hakenses_ is Yggdrasil doing?"

_No idea, sir,_ Ts'sr cawed, just as confused.

Sheeyal frowned. "Commander, it look like... they're searching for someone."

The _Crusher's _commander turned to stare at his first officer. "Explain."

Sheeyal pointed. "Well, Heart and his betrothed are sweeping the civilians. You don't do that unless you're looking for someone. And I pity the person they're looking for, seeing as how spirit's are notorious for hurting anyone who encroaches on their little domiciles. And considering the fact that those ranchers were killed..."

Karken didn't comment on that, instead watching the screen. Suddenly, his eyes widened at a _new_ development. "What the-?"

Sheeyal was surprised as well. "What is _Zarm_ doing there?" she blurted out.

* * *

Zarm moved out of the way as two technicians ran out of the Crystal Chamber, armed with staff weapons. "You've been getting more help I see, Gaia," he said, malice dripping from his voice. "Now, what is the reason for calling me?" He was going to enjoy gloating before he turned her down.

"Sakar," Gaia simply replied, not taking her eyes off the screen.

The Spirit of Destruction was next to her in a second, his plan forgotten. "When?"

"About a week ago. I've been trying to contact you for three hours."

Zarm shrugged. "I would have ignored you, but then I remembered that you wouldn't contact me unless it was an emergency. The usual?"

"Not exactly. Fire and Wind live." Gaia turned. "Zarm, what do you remember about your past?" she asked.

"If you want me to contact Vandrasil for whatever reason, you're wasting your time."

"All of it, apparently." At long last, the Spirit of the Earth turned around to stare at her counterpart. "Now, what do you know about Neverland?"

Zarm looked at her. "Enough that I won't even touch it."

"Do you know how to enter it... via a Stargate?"

And Zarm understood. "Galaxia."

"Galaxia."

* * *

Archer tugged down his uniform top as the airlock finished equalizing. Peorth had informed him that the Supreme Chancellor of Heaven was going to meet them. Ordinarily, he wouldn't be nervous. You've met one ruler, you've met them all.

But, seriously, how many of them have ever butted heads with a god before?

At the end of the airlock, there was a small entourage of gods waiting for them, all of them wearing full robes, each with a symbol on them. Archer guessed that they were Heaven's version of a Congress.

One stepped forward. He was powerfully built, his skin bearing small wrinkles around his eyes. His three blue lightning marks were prominent on his head, seemingly crackling with power.

But he understood Earth customs, as he held out a hand. "Welcome to Heaven, Captain Archer," he said, his voice booming. "I am Zeus, Chancellor of the Supreme Council."

Archer shook his hand. "We know that this isn't standard procedure..."

"It's quite alright. Peorth explained the situation, and she isn't prone to exaggeration." Zeus gestured. "Our technicians will begin upgrading your vessel's defenses and armaments immediately, though we will need your Chief Engineer's assistance in this."

"I'm ready to start right now, if you need me," Trip replied, already itching to work. T-Pol hid a grin.

The Greek King of the Gods grinned. "The technicians have all of the modifications ready for you to inspect. Also, you can help us with some technical problems of our own."

Trip shrugged. "What's the problem?"

"The engineers working on the _Constitution_ are having trouble aligning the matter-antimatter reactor. As exalted beings, we've never had to worry about doing this. The people on Earth aren't advanced enough to do this, and as we're not beyond asking for help, yet..."  
"I'll take care of it."

"Thank you. Now, as for the rest of your crew. Since the majority of them aren't going to have to worry about this, they are allowed to wander the city. I'm going to ask that they avoid walking into restricted sections."

Archer nodded. "Understood. Malcolm, I want you to remain on standby, just in case we need you."

Reed nodded. "Aye, sir."

A technician ran up. "Sorry, Peorth, but they need you up in the control center. The Death Dealer has been spotted approaching Earth."  
"What?" Peorth exclaimed. "Captain, I'll let you know what's going on! Excuse me!" She sprinted past the technician, in the direction of the Control Room.

Archer frowned. "On second thought, I think we need to talk about something else. Namely, what we do about Sakar."

Zeus gestured. "My office is this way."

* * *

Gi finished adjusting her shirt, gave Kwame one last kiss, then sat back down in her seat. "How about that for your first time?" she asked.

Kwame was still grinning idiotically as he slipped back into his seat. "I am at a loss of words." He looked at the screen, shutting off the alarm. "And we have something here."

Gi toggled the comm channel, switching gears. "Gaia, we were right. There is an underwater cave here."

_"I wish _I _was right. Hammond sent several military subs in our direction. They'll be there in about ten minutes."_

"Thanks, Gaia." The Water Planeteer sagged in her seat. "We'll just keep watch until they get here." She sighed. "I wonder if Ma-Ti and Laura found anything yet."

Kwame sighed. "I hope they have. We need to know why Blight has done this."

* * *

Ma-Ti swept his gaze over the refugees, looking for anything that might indicate dishonesty. "Laura?" he called out.

Laura swept over the crowd with her powers, observing each and every one of their minds fleetingly. "I've got nothing."

"Blight's good," Planet admitted, glaring at nothing in particular. "Makes you wish she blared her thoughts out like Wheeler's stereo."

Neptune nodded. "He got that habit from his mother."

Lily looked at her. "Michelle Kaioh! You know better than to blame my son's habits on me."

The two Heart Planeteers hid smiles. This was amusing, watching Wheeler's mother and one of Wheeler's friends have a good old fashioned mock fight.

Laura shifted her full attention back to what she was doing, keeping her concentration absolute. It didn't seem to help any, and she finally stopped. "I can't find anything!" she burst out, getting several confused looks from those closest to them. "It's all a jumble now."  
Ma-Ti hugged her. "You simply overextended yourself," he replied, kissng the top of her head. "You are still new to this, and it will take time for your mind to adjust to the added stimlus." He smiled, embarrassed. "It took me months to get used to it."

Planet nodded. "Rest for a moment. Let your mind clear itself, before you try it again."

"An excellent idea." Lily suddenly looked up. "Kwame and Gi found an underwater cavern. They're keeping their eyes on it until the submarine fleet gets here."

Neptune looked around for a moment. "She knows we're looking for her, and yet she's still here. She's waiting for something, for some kind of sign to move"

Laura shook her head, trying to clear it faster. "Then we need to find her, before she unleashes whatever plan she has cooked up."

On that, no one disagreed.

* * *

George walked into the Crystal Chamber to find Gaia and some unknown person pouring over the information appearing on the screen. "Gaia, you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, Mister Darling. Zarm, could you give us a moment?" When he had moved off a short distance, Gaia gestured the patriarch of the Darling family closer. "Zarm and myself have been pulling our hair out trying to find out how Blight knew where to be, and how she knew when Sakar was going to show up. We can only come up with one theory."

"She's in league with Sakar, possibly since her first days." George frowned. "How can I help? I'm just a banker out of his time."

"Yes, so Gaia has informed me," Zarm replied. "And I think that's why she needs your help. A perspective not tainted by eons of hatred... or is an all powerful spirit."  
Gaia nodded. "He's right, though I am loathe to admit it." She pointed at the screen. "We have exhausted every angle we can think of. Blight has been known for polluting, hurting animals, even attacking a spirit from time to time."

"In this instance, they are not the right reasons," Zarm added, looking up. "Sakar is known for killing people, and spirits. He's the only reason why I'd even be here in the first place."

George held up a hand. "Your past is not relevant right now. So, tell me what she is capable of."

"Well... Blight is a scientist with no scruples. She is extremely intelligent, with quite a bit of money to use, due to her association with Lootin Plunder."

"Not to mention the fact that she has a sidekick that can hack into any computer in the world, save for this one," Gaia added.

George was silent, processing through everything he had learned. "Has anyone checked her banking records?" he asked.

Every god, human, and spirit in the room turned to look at him.

* * *

Reed looked around. "Well, this is... different from what I expected."

Ex giggled from next to him. "Not what you were expecting Heaven to look like. Right, Lieutenant?"

"You're right about that."

"Great light, peace and serenity at every step?"  
"Pretty much."

"Well, would it surprise you that I used to think Earth was all skyscrapers, and no natural land?" Ex asked. "I never really looked at Earth from your perspective. I'm spoiled by Heaven's natural beauty."

Reed smiled. "Well, being human does have its perks. You learn to appreciate what you have." After a moment, his smile faded, and he looked around, a somewhat distant look in his eyes.

The young goddess observed him for a moment. "Something on your mind, Lieutenant?"

Reed looked at her. "Well, you can call me Malcolm when we're alone, for starters. Also... I don't know about you, but I've done some things in my lifetime that... don't exactly place me in the Lord's good graces." He wished he could tell her more, but Section 31 was a sore spot that he didn't want to think about.

Ex didn't press the issue. Reed didn't have a hard time trusting people, but he did have hard time opening up to them. She knew that much, at least. "Well, how about a drink, then?" she asked. "I know this tavern in the outer skirts of the city."

At this, Reed started chuckling. "I didn't see you as the kind of woman who drank."

Ex giggled. "Normally, I don't, but sometimes, when a friend isn't so good, I make an exception. And you, my friend, aren't looking so hot."

At that, the _Enterprise_ tactical officer had no response for. "Alright, lead the way."

* * *

The _U.S.S. Portsmouth _and the _U.S.S. Anchorage_ took flanking positions on either side of the Geo Sub, torpedoes loaded and ready to fire. Without any prompting, the yellow submersible started into the cave, forward lights switching on. Several seconds later, Captain Planet joined them, taking point.

The atmosphere in the sub was extremely tense. Neither person spoke, simply staring outwards, watching the light sparkles that always seemed to trail behind the earth's defender whenever he was summoned. The panels beeped reassuringly, not really registered by them at all.

For twenty minutes, the two objects cut through the water, with no sort of distractions jumping up in front of them. It was very peaceful, and quiet, like the calm before a massive storm.

Finally, an alarm sounded, scaring the living daylights out of Gi. "We hit something?" she asked frantically, checking the status screen.

Kwame checked his screens. "Yes... the motherload. We're in the cavern. And there's air here. Go up." Gi did so.

Planet broke through the water into the air, the Geo Sub breaking the surface mere moments later. Half a second later, the two Planeeters were clambering out of the small ship, flashlights up and ready as they swept the entire area.

They didn't have to search extensively.

"My god," Gi breathed, staring at all of the monitoring equipment that Blight had put in there. No experiments were present, suggesting that she had had no time to do any.

Planet looked at the stuff. "She was here recently." He pointed down. "The ground's been disturbed, then smoothed over to make it less noticeable." He grinned at their surprised expressions. "I am one with the Earth," he intoned.

Kwame shook his head. Planet never said he had abilities that he didn't actually possess. Instead, he held up the communicator Thor gave him. "Thor, we have found Blight's little monitoring station. Can you bring this all up to the surface?"

_"I will attempt to do so,"_ the dimunitive alien replied. _"In the meantime, I suggest that you vacate the premises. My transporters are not as effective through almost solid rock."_

"You got it. Come on, Gi," Kwame said, heading back for the sub.

Gi started to follow him, then stopped as one of the screens turned on. "Kwame! Something's happening!"  
Planet touched down, a little surprised. "What in the world? What the hell is going on?"

Kwame looked around. "It is just that one screen," he muttered, a sense of foreboding making its presence felt in his mind. "Gi, get the sub ready. Captain Planet, get ready to run."

"I'm already set to do that. What is it?"  
"A bad feeling."

The screen displayed static for several seconds, before an image appeared on the screen. An image the Planeteer's all knew. "Blight," Gi said.

Blight's image was smirking. _"Hey, Eco-Nuts. Sorry I couldn't greet you in person, but I've been a very busy girl. You see, I'm still on the island, but you'll never find me. And, I thought you'd like to know that Ma-Ti needs to do better than a slut of a rancher."_

Kwame's muscles tensed at this. Planet looked like he was about to shoot fire from his eyes. A snarl emerged from Gi's throat.

_"But that's not all. I've been employed by the Death Dealer Sakar to monitor Mud Momma and the Chosen Warriors of Fire and Wind. Thought you outta know that. Sakar now knows everything there is to know about them. So you can either look for me... or you can tell Captain Pain to deal with Sakar before Fire Ass and Wind Bitch get what's coming to them. Tootles." _The image cut off as Blight started laughing.

Planet's rage could rival the power of the sun itself. "Thor, beam it all to the empty room in the Crystal Chamber," he said. "Gaia and Zarm are gonna want to see this." He and the two Planeteer's made their way back to the Geo Sub.

Thor didn't bother replying, instead just doing.

* * *

Reed looked around. "Nice place you have here."

Ex smiled. "I like it." She started in one direction. "Have a look around. I'm going to change out of my uniform."

The lieutenant took a look around his immediate surroundings. He decided that he was in the living room. It certainly looked and _felt_ like a living room, complete with furniture. Judging by the fact that there were datapads lying around, Ex worked a great deal.

She, ironically, reminded him of himself.

Observing the antique fireplace, he saw several logs were in place, ready to be lit. Above it, on the mantle, were several photographs, set in winged frames. In them, he saw Ex at various stages of her life. One photo showed the goddess as a child, holding a crab in her hands. Another one showed her as a teenager, next to a young boy the same age. And third one showed her as she was now, wearing her uniform, a triumphant smile on her face. Two people, obviously her parents, stood next to her, both looking proud.

"Those were my parents."

Reed turned to see Ex standing in the door, short hair down, in a robe. "I kind of gathered," he replied. "They look so proud."

Ex walked up to them. "My father wanted me to enter the Relief business, like mother. I expressed an interest in computers and environmental programs, though, so he referred me to Vulcan, who is our veteran technician. He instructed me since I was a child." She smiled at the memory. "When I received my commission, I was placed in the primary Yggdrasil center, where I monitor the Earth." The smile grew somewhat. "Basically, I do what Commander Tucker does."

"Oh, so you observe the planet, then try to fix anything that breaks down."

"Pretty much."

Reed looked at the photos. "You know, when I graduated from Starfleet, I waited for three years on one of the patrol ships, while Captain Archer and Commander Tucker worked on the Warp Five project, trying to get it to work properly." His face fell. "The vulcans didn't help matters by standing aside, and letting us stumble on alone."

Ex frowned. "They didn't interfere with your world's natural development?" Reed nodded. "Well, perhaps they wanted you to learn on your own. Simply handing you the technology would have only made you proficient, not knowledgeable."

"No, they did it to stall us," Reed replied. "The vulcans... well, most of them, anyways, thought humans should remain in the Solar System, and advance slowly, like they did. They were trying to keep us down. T-Pol told us as much."

"Okay, that sounds arrogant." Ex put a hand on his shoulder. "Want to talk about... about anything?"

Reed smiled a bit. "That sounds like a good idea."

Returning the smile, the goddess pulled him to the couch.

* * *

Gaia slammed her fist into the wall in frustration. "That ingrate! She was watching us this whole time, and we never knew!"

Ma-Ti held Laura close, as she trembled in pure fury. "She really has no heart for anyone but herself, does she? She will hurt people for simple amusement."

Clash and Kwame traded glances, sharing a common thought. Death and daggers were only the beginning.

George nodded. "For more than that. Millicent just read through the charges that 'Doctor' Blight has. She is wanted for fraud, extortion, among some of her more colorful crimes." He hesitated. "She is also wanted for the murder of five WWF officials. What is WWF?"

"World Wildlife Fund," Gi supplied. Amazing how one can talk through clenched teeth. "Unless they had a weird name. In that case, it's World Wrestling Federation."

"Long story," Planet hastily stated, when George obtained a strange look.

Zarm leaned against one of the consoles. "I thought she was just an eco terrorist. I though I knew her."  
Lily covered her eyes. "I though I knew her, too. I thought I knew them all."

Belldandy finished her sweep, then landed, her staff disappearing as she did so. "I found nothing," she reported.

_"Well, you tried, sis,"_ replied Urd, her voice sounding tired as well. _"Look, go spend some time with Keiichi. You need it after this."_

* * *

Belldandy nodded, shutting off her communicator. Urd was right, of course. And normally, that wasn't an issue. It was just that everything was happening at once. The Sunak invasion was only a week away, the Goa'uld and Blight getting involved, and Sakar's ever looming presence over Earth and her mind, had done something to her that she had never expected.

She had become afraid. Afraid not for herself, but of what the future might bring. Afraid for her friends, her family.

Afraid for Keiichi.

She now knew that Sakar had always known. He had just been waiting for the chance to hurt her again. And he had damn near succeeded.

_'If I hadn't taken that phone call for Keiichi, if I hadn't come to Earth... no, I wouldn't trade my time with Keiichi, and everyone at the motor club for another chance. I love them all too much.'_ Belldandy smiled, the thought of Keiichi making her sigh. She did love him, with all of her heart.

And for that reason, and that reason alone, was the reason she fought.

* * *

Several engineers flew to the underbelly of _Enterprise_, where the powerful phase cannons were located. It was the last thing they had to do on the mighty vessel.

"We discovered a flaw in your primary weapons," Chronos reported, showing him a datapad. "It seems that about five percent of the energy bleeds out through the buffers during a continuous discharge. According to our calculations, the buffer you have was designed specifically for weaker weapons."

Trip looked over the specs, frowning. "Of all the things to not upgrade, Admiral Forrester decides on the buffer." He handed it back to her. "Damn vulcans! They thought this mission would fail, so they try to sabotage us."

"Well, fortunately, we gods are a tad nicer. We're installing the buffer now, and are rewiring the phase cannons so they are more efficient in battle, as well as more powerful." She handed him a weapons inventory. "We're also giving you twenty three Photon Torpedoes. They are about four times as powerful as Photonic. And, as a last resort, three Quantum Torpedoes."

"They use zero space?"  
"Generating an explosive yield of fifty four point two gigatons. Only to be used in extreme emergencies."

"Extreme emergencies. Got it." Trip scanned the list. "And all this'll help protect this Earth?" he asked.

"Against the _Crusher?_ Yes." Ere sighed. "Against the more advanced ships, I'm no so sure. You see, the Sunak Confederation researches everything they can find, learning everything they can about a system. By now, they've probably analyzed the readings they took of you, and are developing countermeasures."

"All right... what about defense?"

"The best we can do is up the strength of your hull plating. To give you shields, we would have to tear your ship apart."

"Well, we don't want that."

* * *

"We received this from our outer lying satellites," Bria reported, showing Peorth the sensor scans in questions. "It showed Sakar's energy signal reentering the Solar System at top speed."

Peorth glared at the screen. "I want to know _how_ he managed to get out of the system without our knowing it."

"That I can't tell you."

"Well, keep me posted."  
"Yes, ma'am."

That taken care of, Peorth made her way to the Chancellor's office. She was really not looking forward to telling the Supreme Council this.

Sakar shot past Jupiter at almost the speed of light. His meeting with the three spirits, and Fire and Wind, was long over due. He would have to remedy that immediately.

_To be continued..._


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

Malcolm slowly woke up, feeling a little disconcerted, when a beeping sound pierced through his consciousness. Carefully moving his arm from underneath Ex's sleeping head, he pulled his communicator out, clearing his throat before answering. "Reed here."

_"The Planeteers located a hidden cavern underneath Hope Island."_ Even in the morning, Archer sounded completely in control of himself. A talent the lieutenant had yet to master. _"Blight was monitoring Ma-Ti and Miss Talbot, and apparently tipped off Sakar about their activities."_

Malcolm frowned. He sensed a 'but' coming.

_"But... Blight was not there. Thor thinks she might have some sort of portable transporter technology on her."_

"Do you need me to report back to the ship?"

_"Wouldn't do any good. The phaser array is being installed right now, and Trip'll want to have it tested first. Just be ready."_

"Understood, sir. Reed out." Malcolm sighed, looking at his communicator. He didn't know if this better or worse.

Ex blinked once, then sat up, yawning. "Was that your Captain?" she asked sleepily.

"Yes. ... Doctor Blight was on Hope Island, watching." Malcolm moved towards the windows, watching the setting sun. "She let the Goa'uld know where to strike." Frustration and anger gripped him. This type of behavior was not as rampant in his reality, stamped out mostly because of WWIII. But it was still there.

The Goddess stood next to him, after making sure her robe was cinched tightly. "It must be hard, hearing that. You expect people to be better than that."

Malcolm shook his head. "There will always be people who do something vile for personal gain," he replied. "It's just... I wish innocent people weren't put in the crossfire." His head dropped a bit. "Maybe having _Enterprise_ come here was a bad idea."  
For a moment, there was silence between them. Then, Ex turned his head towards her gently. "Don't worry. I'm sure Gaia and Zarm can handle things on the planet." She smiled. "You worry too much, you know that?"

"Well, it's in my job description. I _am_ Chief of security, after all."

"Still, you don't need to worry all of the time. You need to trust your friends to do the right thing."

"Well, I trust Captain Archer." Malcolm suddenly thought of something. "Strangely enough, I trust you, too. And we've really only just meant."

"Well, that's good." Ex leaned in slightly, standing on her toes, brushing her lips against his. "Otherwise, I wouldn't have gotten away with that."

Malcolm grinned, and brought his lips down on hers, an action that Ex responded to gladly.

* * *

"It looks like that he's coming in via a back door of sorts," Peorth said, looking glum. "It's possible he'll try to locate Wheeler and Linka, and we haven't had any luck finding Blight, yet."

Zeus nodded, taking the data pad from the First class Goddess. "Tell me, do you think it is possible that he will head for Hope Island?"

"Not at this moment. Belldandy was holding back in their encounter at the apartment complex, and he knows it. It's possible he will try to draw the three spirits out, in the hopes that Fire and Wind will follow."

"That sounds about right." Archer leaned back, frowning thoughtfully. "I think it's time I have another chat with Silik. His 'benefactor' may have told him something about Sakar, and this Deadly Alliance he's part of."

"Maybe… maybe not. You said so yourself, the mystery man from the future also had him onboard to sabotage the _Enterprise_ at the completion of its mission with the Xindi," Peorth pointed out.

"But he told Qui Gon that he was told the Temporal Cold War is over, as well."

Zeus nodded. "I'll see that he's brought to the interrogation room at once. Maybe he will be more open with Gods present."

"Maybe…" Archer murmured. "… Alright. I also want Zephyer and Mrs. Sloane in there. That way, he won't think about escaping… and I would being questioned by a fellow alien would be more useful."

"Agreed. Peorth, could you make the security arrangements? Coordiante with Lieutenant Reed?"

Peorth nodded. "Yes, sir."

* * *

"So far, I have uncovered three dummy corporations that Doctor Blight has used to acquire funding," George explained, pointing at each one in particular. "Each one claims to be part of an ecological society. I did some checking, and each one did exist at some point."

Gaia nodded, looking at the first one. "I recognize this one. It was a small operation that went extinct after its organizer died under mysterious circumstances."

"I think it is a safe bet that the organizer was killed by Blight. Take a look at the date."

"… October Thirteenth, 1982. The same day James Sloane was killed."

Zarm frowned. "He was the original Fire Planeteer, if I'm not mistaken."

"You're not." The Spirit of Earth suddenly made the connection. "Is it possible that Blight's been working for Sakar for years?" she asked.

"That is exactly what I think."

Zarm turned around. "How many others, I wonder? How many of the eco villains have served Sakar all this time?"

Ma-Ti entered the room, Laura right behind him. "Then how about we find out?" he asked. "We cannot locate Blight anywhere."

"Slippery little devil," Laura added, stretching her arm fretfully. "My brains been turned to mush, and my arm's starting to cramp up."

Gaia smiled. "Don't worry. You have done more than enough, Laura. You both did a great job. Take the rest of the day off, and get some rest."

"We could all use some rest," Kwame replied, walking in with Gi. "We have not had any since… what, two nights ago?"

Gaia nodded, massaging her neck fretfully. "Fair point," she said. "Chrono, have the humans get some sleep… and our three fates. I don't want them conking out in the middle of the search. Have the Sentinels begin searching the mountain and waterfall. She may be using them to hide herself."

"Yes, ma'am," Chrono replied, quickly issuing the orders.

The Spirit of Destruction frowned. "I'll go have a word with Verminus Skumm. He may have a clue as to what his next action."

"Good idea. Planet, I need you to go find Plunder and his right hand man. Take them to Stargate Command for interrogation."

Planet nodded. "You got it." He took off like a shot.

Gaia patted George on the shoulder. "Thanks, Mister Darling. You did your part."

George nodded, smiling slightly. "Your welcome, madam."

* * *

Belldandy landed near the sleeping quarters, shaking her arms out for a second. It had been years since she had remained in the air for so long, and it had taken its toll. "I wonder how that psychopath lives with herself every day," she grumbled to herself, though she didn't need an answer for that. People like Blight simply enjoyed causing suffering to a lot of people and creatures. Yggdrasil was still in an outrage over her taking over Gaia's body, and that had been almost three years ago!

Sighing, the First class Goddess entered the room she and Keiichi were sharing, due to the fact that Hope Island was full of refugees. And, from she had heard from Stargate Command, there were almost a hundred more, many of them children, which wasn't a good sign. It meant that Wheeler and the others were most likely going to be very angry when they got back.

And, from what she had seen with Janet's anger, an angry Guardian was a Guardian you steered clear of.

Sending her uniform into the ether, but too tired to form her nightclothes in their place, she climbed into bed, fatigue creeping into the edges of her consciousness. She closed her eyes, waiting for sleep to overcome her.

She was still waiting when Keiichi entered, looking over some technical schematics for the Geo Cruiser. "Keiichi?" she mumbled drowsily, turning to face.

The young man turned to look at her, wrapped up in a sheet. It was obvious to him that he was naked, or approaching that state. "I thought you were asleep," he replied, setting the papers down on the dresser, trying not to stare.

"Couldn't get to sleep. I have too much on my mind." Belldandy sat up, keeping the sheet clinched tightly around her. "What are you doing?"

Keiichi sighed, sitting on the bed. "Gi wanted me to take a look at the Cruiser, then build a new one. That way, they could equip it with weapons. I'm kinda wondering if we can build this in a week."

"With two Guardians, and the whole of Yggdrasil behind you, there is nothing that can't be done. In this instance, you need to have faith."

"I know. It's just... I still can't get over the fact that you went head to toe with this Sakar."

Belldandy sighed. "It wasn't one of my happiest moments. It was my first mission... ever. I was placed in charge of an entire wing of GRW, and over two dozen sentinels. My mission was to evacuate the Metropolitan Apartment Complex." She thought about how Sakar got away, all because of her own ignorance. "I followed Sakar all the way down the alleyway in my attempt to 'subdue' him." She snorted. 'Subdue him," she said sardonically. "I couldn't subdue him at that time if I had the experience."

"Belldandy..."

"I was a kid," Belldandy continued, "a kid that didn't realize what the universe was like. I wanted to make that universe a better place. I didn't fully realize that there was such a thing as true evil."

Keiichi was now worried. He had seen Belldandy in many a mood, save for anger. She was always free with her emotions. But now... she looked like she was physically holding in her tears. "Belldandy, what did he do to you?"

Belldandy turned away, feeling the unfamiliar feeling of shame going through her. "Sakar let me follow him... all the way to where Mrs. Sloane was laying. He told me that there was nothing I could do, that she was dead to the world... and... and he said it like it was a sports event. And then he tried to..."

The Goddess couldn't finish. Even now, the thought of what Sakar tried to do to her was too much for her to think about.

The young man who she loved so much seemed to figure it out. "Did he... try to rape you?" he asked gently.

Belldandy nodded, still struggling with her tears.

Without saying anything else, Keiichi gathered her up in a hug, keeping her close. "I am so sorry," he whispered. "I am so sorry that you had to learn that way." He bent his head slightly to kiss her forehead.

Belldandy let her head rise slightly, capturing his lips with hers, grabbing the back of his head as she did so. She held it for about ten seconds, before pulling back, staring into his extremely shocked eyes. "I think you can assume that I'm ready," she said quietly.

This time, it was Keiichi that made the first move, capturing her lips with his, as the sheet fell away...

----

A cadre of Agents stood in respectful attendance, awaiting the return of their master. They were standing in a full circle, eyes alight in anticipation.

In the night sky, a single beam of light became apparent, growing in size as it approached their position, until finally, it struck dead center.

Sakar emerged from the light, dusting his shirt off. "Landing does make a mess of things, doesn't it?" he asked no one in particular, before turning to one of the Agents. "Has Smith carried out my wishes?"

"He has, Master. More than a hundred warriors now await your command."

Sakar grinned, feeling the ebb and flow of Earth's mystical power. He could sense Belldandy, Gaia, and Zarm, all situated on Hope Island. He could sense the three Starlight Warriors, and their Princess, Kakyuu.

But Wendy, Wheeler, and Linka were mysteriously missing... and so were Mrs. Sloane, and the two Guardians.

"What happened to Fire and Wind?" the Spirit of Death asked.

One Agent stepped forward. "They never exited the SGC," she replied. "In fact, with the exception of their going to Yellowstone National Park, very few of them did."

Sakar nodded. "They must have gone to find someone. Find out who."

"Yes, Master."

Another Agent stepped forward. "Where shall we go?" he asked.

Now this, Sakar could answer. "I told Belldandy that she didn't understand what power was meant for. It's time to give her a demonstration." He turned. "We head for Nekomi!"

The Agents all roared as one, following his flag.

* * *

Silik observed Archer patiently, a small smirk on his lips. "Jonathan, what makes you think I know _anything_ about this 'Sakar?'" he asked.

Archer glared at him as he stalked around the Suliban, hating that smug, superior look on his face. Though Sloane and Zephyer proved unavailable, as the SGC was presently taking in refugees, he and Peorth had decided to go ahead with the interrogation. "Your contact from the future told you that there was a manipulator targeting everyone and everything in this Guardian Protectorate. I know he told you about Sakar."

"He only told me to be patient, and to keep you on your mission against the Xindi. I only-"  
"Oh, save your innocence speech," Peorth suddenly snapped. "No one believes you. Anyone who can tell you that the _Enterprise_ was going to come here could also tell you about the Rogue. Now, what did he tell you?"

Silik just stared at her. "Now, why should I have to tell you? You're a _goddess._"

"And out of patience." The First class Goddess grabbed Silik by his throat, lifting him up out of his seat. "We don't have any laws pertaining to brutality, like they do in the U.S. If I have to beat the information out of you, then I will. Now, what did he tell you?"

Silik turned to look at Archer, who was simply staring at him with the same smug expression that he himself had had a few moments ago. He didn't have it now as his throat was closed, and his newfound abilities were useless at the moment.

Abruptly, Peorth let him go, and he crumbled into his seat. Gasping for breath, he looked up at her, saw that her fist was balled up. "Alright!" he rasped. "I'll tell you what you want to know!"

Archer grinned. "Thank you."

As two guards helped Silik back to his seat, Urd sidled up to them. "You know, I don't have the heart to tell him that this was all planned out," she whispered.

Archer stifled a laugh. "Personally, if he finds out that this was staged, I'm not really going to care."

----

Trip finished his assessment of the warp core, and nodded. "Alright, try it now!" he shouted.

One of the technicians sent a series of commands through the _Constitution's _master control, the starting sequences that would initiate the mighty heart of the starship.

And this time, it did.

With a powerful surge of energy, the warp core began pulsing, transferring power to the primary systems.

Trip turned to the technicians, grinning. "Now this is how you take care of a warp engine," he said.

The technician returned the grin, thumping a fellow god on the back. "Now that we've evened out the ratio, we can test this ship out at full warp capacity."

"It's not that simple. You're gonna have to test out every system. Hence the phrase 'shakedown cruise.' That way, you can find out what breaks, and replace it with somethin' stronger. It'll probably be a few weeks before you can say that this ship is ready to be called finished." Trip shook his head. "But now, if you'll excuse me, Ah need to go change. Have a nice day." He made his way out of main Engineering, heading for the transporter room.

Several minutes later, Trip stepped off of the transporter pad, nodding to the technician on duty. "Nice. Ah'm still in one piece."

"We try to keep you that, sir," the tech replied. "Oh, by the way, Sub-Commander T-Pol was looking for you. I think she wanted to talk to you about the upgrades to her science console."

"Of course. Where is she?"  
"Uh, I think she clocked off duty two hours ago."

"Great. Thanks for the info." Trip started down the hall, shaking his head. "Ah wonder why T-Pol wants to talk to me about those upgrades," he muttered to himself. "They're pretty self-explanatory."

Foregoing his quarters for the moment, as T-Pol's were closer, the Chief Engineer started down the corridor, hoping that she would keep this short. He hadn't had anything to eat all day, and he had been crawling up and down cramped jefferies tubes, so he had worked up a sweat. So while he was glad that he had solved Yggdrasil's problem, he was still a little grouchy.

Reaching T-Pol's room, he quickly hit the buzzer, hearing her say, "Come in!" almost immediately. Looking around, he did so.

----

_"Come now, young goddess! I know you can be faster then this. Don't you want to catch me?"_

_Belldandy continued to ignore him, concentrating on her orders, and hoping that the sentinels would arrive. She was not going to let him escape. His rein of destruction was going to end tonight. One way or another._

_She kept that thought strong until she entered a particularly long stretch of alleyway. Then she stumbled across a body._

_Shocked, Belldandy came to a halt, kneeling down to see if the person was dead. She felt for a pulse, detected a weak one, then checked to see if the person was breathing. She saw that she was. Now she turned the person over._

_She immediately saw that it was a female, about twenty-five years of age. She was apparently out cold. Belldandy stooped a little closer…and immediately recoiled back in horror. She couldn't believe it. What she thought was an unconscious female, was in fact a female who was better off dead. Her eyes were vacant, devoid of any sign of life. Her arm was broken in three places, and from what Belldandy could tell, the woman was paralyzed from the waist down. Her face was almost a black and blue mask, and had she been conscious of it all, she would have already have been unconscious._

"_This is why I let you follow me, without any opposition," the rogues voice stated, sounding rather proud. "She fought me, trying to save her only child. She was successful. Her son is now hidden from my sight, and will remain so until his son's ninth birthday. But she paid for it. She paid for it dearly. She is in an eternal nightmare, where she will see this night happen over and over again. Only in her dreams, though. In her waking hours, she will be nothing more than a mental vegetable. Unable to speak, unable to do anything on her own. She is, for all intents and purposes, dead to the world. As well as to you. And there is not a thing you can do to help her."_

_Belldandy stared at her in sorrow, then up at the rogue, who was smirking openly. "Why…why did you do it?" she managed to get out through her shock._

"_Because I can. What good is power if you are not willing to use it?" His smile grew more malicious. "It is a pity you do not. And now, you never will." Instantly, a sword appeared in his hand, it's obsidian blade glinting darkly. "I have never had the chance to kill a Goddess before, but then again, you are the first one I have ever met. And now, I have a very powerful dilemma; do I kill you, or take you against your will? It's the ultimate question, and no easy answer." Then a proverbial light bulb went on in his hand. "I can do both, now that I think about it. It would actually be more fun than just doing one of them."_

_And in a flash, he was on her, trapping her against a wall. She could feel one of his hands starting to rip her uniform off. Starting to grope around. "And I am going to enjoy it very, very much."_

----

"No!"

Belldandy shot up, barely stifling her gasp of terror as she did so. Her gaze swept the entire room, looking for any threats that were there. It took her a few minutes to realize that she was in her room on Hope Island... and that she was not alone in the bed.

Turning her gaze, she looked at Keiichi's sleeping form, so peaceful, and so different from when he was awake. Awake, he was driven by the need to prove himself, and to stand up for what he believed in. Asleep, he was... at peace, like he didn't have a care in the world.

_'And Sakar brought him into the middle of this fight,'_ she thought bitterly. _'Just to hurt me, if he could. Thank Kami that Michelle was there.'_ She knew that he had been lucky in that moment... just as lucky as she was to have him in her life.

Sighing, the young Goddess lowered herself to one elbow, keeping her gaze on Keiichi for a second longer. _'I'm sorry, Keiichi,'_ she thought, tears sparkling in her eyes. _'I'm sorry to have brought you into this.'_

Carefully sliding out of bed so as not to disturb him, the Goddess donned a robe, and made for the window. Looking outward, she saw the ocean lapping gently at beach, the night sky clear of clouds. She could make out the various constellations out there, with no light pollution to hinder her. '_I now see why Gaia fights so passionately to protect this place. It's a true paradise that she lives in.'_ She could not let Sakar come near this place. Not when they had a chance to beat him.

As she pondered about how much had changed in eleven years, and how much she had changed in that time, a distant beeping caught her attention. Turning around, she saw that it was her communicator. Quickly grabbing it, she said, "Yes?"

"_Hello, Belldandy."_

Belldandy's small frown contorted rather ugly. "What do you want, Sakar?"

"_Oh, come now, Belldandy," _Sakar's oily voice replied. "_Can't an old friend come calling?"_

"You are no friend of mine."

"_Ah, if that is how you want to play, so be it. I was just calling to let you know that I'm in Nekomi, right at the college you and your boyfriend attend, seeing the sights as it were. Your motor club is filled with idiots and arrogant fools, if you were interested in knowing."_

Belldandy's breath caught in her throat. She realized what he was planning to do. "Leave them out of this," she said. "They're not what you want."

"_Oh really?"_ Sakar actually sounded amused. "_I want to cause you as much pain as possible, before I take you against your will, then end your life. So actually, they are who I want. How pathetic are you if you think that... what the... who is that?"_

Suddenly, an explosion made its presence known over the line, before static filled the air.

Keiichi blinked, sitting up. "What was that?" he asked.

Belldandy gently set the device down, looking at him. "Sakar," she replied, the fear for their friends clear in her tone. "He's in Nekomi."

That was all the young man needed to know.

* * *

Amara drove into the Nekomi Tech parking lot, dark thoughts about the events of the last few days. going through her mind. Never, in all of her years, had she seen so much in such a short period of time.

First, she runs in that weird monk on the road. She found Keiichi's home under attack by some weird guys in business suits, wielding some strange blades.

And she saw the weird light show that had happened at the end of the battle, whisking Neptune, Belldandy, and the others away. And she had to get the hell out of there as those guys turned to her. She hadn't been home since, save for a brief moment, when she discovered that the place was swarming with more of those people. She had decided that she should head to Keiichi's and Belldandy's stomping grounds. That way, they couldn't find her so easily.

Her mind made up, she started looking for a parking spot... and noted something interesting. Namely, everyone running for the hills. _'Not here, too!'_ she thought angrily. Quickly getting out, she grabbed the nearest student by the arm. "What's happening?"  
"The Motor Club's been taken hostage!" the girl replied. "They're at the race track, with a bunch of guys-!"

"Dressed in business suits. I understand. Keep going, and call the Prime Minster! Have him mobilize the army, and get them here!" Without waiting for a reply, Amara jumped back into her car, and gunned the motor.

People scattered as the topless car suddenly roared out of the parking lot, heading for the track.

----

"But sis, it's crazy!" Skuld exclaimed, watching as Belldandy changed into her battle uniform. When she had first barged into Keiichi's room with the information that Yggdrasil had sent her, she hadn't raised a fuss at seeing Belldandy standing in front of the young man in simply a robe. Now she was watching her sister prepare to go to war against a being more powerful than anything the universe had ever seen. "You've never fought this guy before in a full scale fight!"  
"Wrong," Belldandy replied. "I have battled this guy before, at the apartment building. And until Wheeler and Linka get back, I am the only one who stands a chance at defeating him." She knelt before her young sister, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I will not allow him to destroy everything I have worked so hard to protect because of a grudge he has against me. I won't let him take my friends from me, _or_ Keiichi. Not if I can do anything about it!" She smiled. "I need you to coordinate with Yggdrasil. Get as many sentinels to Nekomi as you can. Okay?"

Skuld sniffed, nodding firmly. "Be careful, sis."

"Don't worry, I will." Belldandy turned to Gaia. "Let's go."

Ere looked through the everything Archer and Peorth had gleaned from Silik, before locking him away. "So if we modify our deflector dish to initiate a tachyon pulse, we'll sever his connections."

Archer nodded. "He'll be severely weakened, according to Silik. If we can get him in an area without any power lines, we should have no problems." He looked around. "Where's Trip, by the way?"

Ere shrugged. "I have no idea."

"Right here!" Trip replied, running up to them. "T-Pol just wanted to talk to me about her science console. She has a problem with the new interface."

"And that's all."

"No, here's a list of concerns." Trip handed the goddess a list.

Ere looked at the list, eyebrow climbing dramatically. "She seems to have injected some attitude into it."

Archer grinned. "That's all you two did?" he asked. "Nothing that involves disciplinary action, I trust."

"Cap'n, we still call her Sub commander, but she's a civilian. So, if we did anything else... well, it's none of your damn business, sir."

Archer acknowledged that with a grin. It was sometimes hard to remember that T-Pol was no longer a part of the Vulcan High Command. "Good point."

Ere handed him her flimsy. "This is the information that we got off of Silik. Do you think we can do the modifications to _Enterprise's_ deflector without short circuiting the whole system?"

Trip gave it a once over, nodded to himself. "It can be done... if we run the tachyon field through the system buffer. It's connected to Deflector Control."

"Get started, then. I'm heading for-"

"_Bridge to Captain Archer._"

Archer sighed, pulling his communicator off. "Go ahead."

"_Sir, Yggdrasil has just contacted us. Sakar has just been spotted near Nekomi Tech._"

Ere gasped. "That's the college that both Belldandy and Keiichi go to."

Archer quickly turned to Trip. "How long will it take to modify the deflector?"

"About thirty five minutes," Trip replied.

"Get started. Hoshi, have all personnel report back to the _Enterprise_ immediately!"

"_I've already done that, sir! Lieutenant Reed has reported in too, sir._"

"I knew there was a reason I kept him around," Archer muttered. "Travis, prepare to depart from Space dock! I'm on my way to the bridge!"

"_Aye, sir!_" Travis replied.

Archer made for the nearest lift, while Ere quickly made for the airlock. Yggdrasil High Command would need her now, especially if she knew Belldandy as well as she did.

* * *

Athena turned around as Belldandy, Urd, and the three spirits exited the Crystal Chamber, staff weapons already out. "I see that the Rogue has already contacted you," she said.

Belldandy nodded, her eyes cold as diamonds. "It looks like he's meeting some resistance of some kind. I guess someone arrived in time to head him off a bit."

"Then we're going. The Network has been informed, and are moving to intercept. Hopefully, we'll be able to hold him off until Fire and Wind return."

"Let's hope it's soon," Gaia muttered. Zarm nodded in agreement.

"Even if the prophecy is false, we must do whatever we can to stop Sakar," Athena stated.

Belldandy nodded firmly, clutching her staff tightly in her hands. "Then let's stop Sakar. Right here, right now."

Planet smiled grimly. "I like her idea. Let's get going."

As one, the small force shot into the air, angling for Japan.

And, went off to war.

Zephyer looked up from the Asgard console he was looking at, turning to Thor. "What is happening?" he asked.

Bre'tac looked up as well. "We are receiving a Priority One message from the _Enterprise._ The Death Dealer, it seems, has attacked a Tauri learning facility."

"Indeed," Thor replied, checking his sensors. "There appears to be a small number of enemy soldiers there, holding the local population hostage. It may be that they are waiting for Mister Sloane to attempt a rescue."

"Or Lady Belldandy."

"That is also conceivable."

Zephyer nodded, grabbing his weapon belt. "Then we shall assist in the battle," he stated.

"I agree. I can transport you to within fifty feet of the hostages. Other than that, I fear that you are on your own."

Bre'tac nodded, his staff weapon already in hand. "We are ready."

The two alien warriors vanished in a bright light, while Thor began sending the transmission to the SGC.

* * *

Sloane looked up as the last of the refugees from Realm 3401were filtered out of the Gate Room, before turning to Hammond. "What'll happen to them?" she asked.

Hammond shrugged helplessly. "Until the Guardians can launch a counter attack, their universe is pretty much lost. Colonel Graydon has requested that he and his men join the SGC. I'm inclined to give him that."

The Wind Planeteer sighed, looking over at Katie, who was comforting two young boys. "Hopefully, these will be the last refugees for a while."

"You'll get no argument out of me."

"Or me," Katie added, walking over to them.

_"General, we have a problem!"_

Hammond's eyes shot up to the control room. "What is it, Walter?"

_"Thor just sent us a message! Sakar has been sighted in Nekomi! Yggdrasil and the spirits are moving to intercept, but they are requesting reinforcements!"_

Hammond turned to Sloane. Sloane nodded, not even having to say anything. "All our available forces are getting the refugees set up outside. Lily Sloane will be heading there immediately." He made for the door. "The second the _Enterprise_ is back on our plane of existence, send them a final report."

_"Aye, sir,"_ Walter replied.

* * *

"I want to cause you as much pain as possible," Sakar said, speaking into the communicator he held in his hand, "before I take you against your will, then end your life. So actually, they are who I want. How pathetic are you if you think that..."

His attention was diverted to the sound of an engine roaring, a vehicle coming right at them. "What the... who is that?"

His question was answered when Amara jumped out of the vehicle, letting it continue onward on sheer momentum. Without even waiting to consider it, he fired off a mid level burst of power.

The attack struck the vehicle head on, and detonated, destroying the car immediately. The shockwave slammed into him and his minions, knocking them off of their vertical base. The communicator slipped from Sakar's hand, and hit the ground, breaking in the process.

At the same time, a powerful water blast struck the Spirit of Death head on, sending him back twenty feet. He hit the ground hard, skidding into a wall.

Amara turned around, her eyes as wide as saucers. "Neptune?" she got out in surprise.

Neptune didn't bother saying hello. "Get them out of here, Amara!" she shouted. "I'll deal with these creeps!"

"Alright... be careful."

The Water Senshi nodded, watching her beloved run towards Megumi and the others, before turning her attention back to Sakar and his soldiers, the very vapor in the air vibrating in preparation for her to unleash her watery might.

Sakar returned to an upright position, glaring at her. "Well, Sailor Neptune," he growled. "You seem to show up whenever your little girlfriend is in trouble. Fine." He powered up, bringing his hands up. "You shall be the first one to go!" He fired a powerful energy blast at her, one capable of turning her body into pure energy the second that it hit.

But Neptune was already moving, leaping upward as the attack flew past her by a mere millimeter. She had already begun collecting the water in the air again. _"Neptune Deep Submerge!"_ she bellowed, unleashing another attack.

Two Agents got in the way, taking the blast head on. Their bodies immediately began to buckle, as if they were thousands of feet below the ocean surface. In a sense, they were.

Youma, which were dead, or never alive to begin with, simply dissolved into a wet mound of dust when the spell hit them. But the Agents, which were still very much alive and had working internal organs, reacted as any humanoid would when subjected to such pressure... their bodies were crushed.

Sakar watched this in amusement. "Well, that was different. Would you like to try that again?"

Neptune stood up, feeling the vibrations of the air. There wasn't enough moisture in the general vicinity to utilize her powers. So, she let the power flow through her body, enhancing her strength and speed. "I don't need my attacks to deal with you," she replied, entering a fighting stance.

Sakar stepped forward.

"You're not doing it alone,"

Neptune grinned as Sloane joined her, her powers already roaring to the surface. "I didn't think you were going to show," she confessed.

Sloane shrugged. "I've been wanting to get back into the fight for quite a while. And I do have a score to settle with the Death Dealer." Her grin turned feral. "Let's go."

Sakar snarled. "This time I won't leave you crippled, Lilith Sloane. This time, I will kill you!" With that declaration, he flew forward, fist cocked and ready to fly.

Sloane quickly pivoted, grabbing Sakar by his other arm, stopping him. Neptune quickly began kicking him, while the Wind Planeteer punched his face twice. The two of them threw a right hook at him, sending him flying back. Without even waiting, considering who they were up against, they charged forward.

Sakar leaped up with impossible speed, a powerful roundhouse kick catching them both as they reached him. While they were in midair, whirling in a circle, he leaped up, kicking Neptune in the back, knocking both women together, and to the ground. "You couldn't defeat me eleven years ago, Sloane. What makes you think that you will now?"

Sloane looked up. "Actually," she said, "I'm not trying to win, just delay you. Just like last time. Only this time, it's so you get your ass handed to you."

Sakar stared at her, surprised.

He didn't stay surprised for long, as a boot slammed into his jaw with enough force to snap a mortal's head off from the rest of his body. For Sakar, it hurt like hell, but he lived.

And he didn't even need to see who it was who had hit him.

Belldandy landed next to Sloane, the entire Network and the three spirits right behind her. "My terms still stand, Death Dealer. Surrender, or die."

Sakar surged to his feet, fury growing his eyes. "You seem to have me mistaken for one of your Goddess System creatures! I choose option three!" His fists clenched, all of the power at her disposal appearing around him. "Where you all die!"

With that, he flew forward, energy reaching out to engulf them all.

* * *

The _Enterprise_ emerged from the Supergate, angling towards the Earth. Their impulse engines glowed brightly as they made for the atmosphere.

Onboard, Main Engineering scrambled to ready the ship for atmospheric flight, realigning the SIF for just that. On the bridge, Travis Mayweather read the information coming from Charles Tucker, and adjusted his speed accordingly.

The mighty vessel started shaking as it began its descent to the planet, its hull armor protecting it from the sheer pressure being placed on it. And with the warp core offline, there was no danger of a breach becoming a full scale danger.

Archer gripped his armrests as his dad's ship bucked continuously, feeling nothing but pride in her. She had been put through her paces this last week. Henry Archer would have been proud.

Banishing such thoughts, he turned to T-Pol, who nodded. He turned to Malcolm, who nodded as well. Everything was in place.

All he could do now, was wait.

* * *

As Sakar flew at them, Belldandy collapsed.

Not out of fear, of course. Belldandy had lost her fear of Sakar after their first encounter. Instead, her plan required her to get out of immediate danger, while remaining within striking distance of the Death Dealer.

So, as the Death Dealer flew overhead, Belldandy quickly grabbed him by the fastening of his cape, and kneed him in the gut, throwing him forward.

Zarm and Gaia struck at the same time, sending him skyward. Planet flew forward, slamming into him with every ounce of power in his body. The two spirits slammed into the main building, creating a rather impressive hole in the process.

Athena and the other Goddess's immediately broke formation, aiming at the Agents before they could do anything to follow. Athena struck the leader with enough force to snap his neck instantly. She quickly jumped again, kicking another in the side. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Urd electrocute a third one, and Hermes toss another directly at a small group of his fellows, and silently approved.

It also reminded her that where there was one Agent, there was a small army behind it. And that army was coming at them with all due speed.

_'Belldandy and the spirits can handle Sakar,'_ she thought to herself. Gods and Goddesses, take them head on!"

As one, the Network charged.

----

Amara quickly led the former hostages as far away as she could from the college, mindful of the fact that there were enemies all around them. It wouldn't do to be captured so soon.

Megumi, it seemed, wanted a bit more information than that. "What the hell is going on?" she demanded. "What are those guys? And how can Belldandy do _that_?"

"I have no idea!" Amara replied, moving faster. "But, I'm not going look a gift horse in the mouth! Everyone, keep going! Don't stop until you reach the parking lot! If you have transportation, take it!"

"What about you?" Tamigasha asked.

The sandy blond woman had already turned around. "I'm going back to help them!"

"Are you _nuts_?"

"Maybe." She couldn't really tell them the real reason why, of course. She wasn't going to leave Michelle there all alone. She loved her too much.

----

Dark, acidic bolts of power erupted from Zarm's fingers, in sync with Gaia's own lightning attack. Their attacks struck Sakar head on, dissipating against a powerful forcefield.

Belldandy was already on the move as the attack faded, her internal sensors telling her that the building had been evacuated completely. Now she could do some serious damage.

Planet quickly brought his knee into Sakar's back, a move that would have snapped a normal foe's spinal cord. All it did to Sakar was send a sliver of pain through his back. But it served its purpose.

The First Class Goddess pumped the full power of her rage and hatred for the Death Dealer into her attack, unleashing a strike so powerful that Sakar let out a roar of rage and pain. He achieved _lightspeed_ for a split second, slamming through the ceiling into the open air almost immediately.

Planet and Zarm were already waiting for him, fists striking out with lethal intent. Sakar was barely able to deflect them, as he was dazed from Belldandy's attack. He had had no idea that she hated him that much.

As if to bear more evidence to that, he saw a powerful energy attack coming out of the ceiling after him. He barely managed to get out of the way in time, before turning his attention back to the two spirits.

Which was fortuitous for him, as he quickly blocked their attacks. Lashing out with a double kick, he folded Zarm up like an accordion, then threw him at Planet. He followed immediately, hitting hard and fast, keeping them off guard. "You will not defy me again, Spirit of Destruction!" he bellowed, finishing up with a roundhouse kick that sent the two spirits flying. "It is time to die!"

"You first!"

Sakar whirled as Gaia came in, connecting with a thunderous right hand that sent the all powerful spirit back in the same direction she came. "First things first, though..."

He rocketed downward, aiming for Belldandy.

* * *

Wheeler stretched his arms out for a moment, his gaze still smoldering. _'The Deadly Alliance will pay _dearly _for this!'_ he thought, thinking about Jane and her family. The fact that they had lost their primary supporter, a man they loved in different ways, was a stark reminder of what he had lost.

He, and everyone else, had no time to stew over this turn of events, as Hammond entered the Gate Room, looking rather worried. "We have a problem."

Potter turned to him, her anger forgotten in the moment as the general's tone registered. "What is it?" she asked.

"Sakar."

"Where?" Wheeler immediately latched onto that. He had just been given an outlet for his aggression.

"Nekomi."

"Then Nekomi we shall go!" James declared, bringing his hands up.

"Not all of us," Mary replied. "The refugees will need our help as well. Perhaps... Qui Gon, myself and Doctor Fraiser will remain here, while the rest of you go and help Belldandy and her crew."

"Excellent idea. Hang on, people! We're going to Nekomi.

A powerful burst of light appeared, enclosing the group. Within the hair breath of a second, they were gone.

Mary and Qui-Gon, with a certainty that only the Force could give, made for the exit. They would see them again.

Whether or not Sakar would still be a problem was up for debate.

* * *

Belldandy slammed into the center of the Nekomi dormitory, almost causing the structure to come crashing down. She immediately began coughing, feeling every muscle in her torso protest the movement. Ignoring it, she got back up to her feet, feeling the world swim before her. Or maybe it was her vision. When her head stopped spinning, she would find out.

Of course, that would only happen if she avoided the obviously killing blow by Sakar as he rocketed down at Mach Four, his fist clenched.

Belldandy quickly flipped back, her feet coming up, catching Sakar in his jaw. He hit the ground, thoroughly surprised. He quickly go up, his eyes smoking with hate. Every muscle in his body practically screamed with tension, waiting to uncoil.

Belldandy felt the same thing, and knew that she wouldn't hold back anymore.

And so, the First Class Goddess let all of her hate, rage, and sorrow, flow through her.

With a bellow of challenge, Sakar charged forward.

Belldandy did so as well.

The two titans met head on.

Any surviving windows shattered at the resultant sonic booms that were formed. They shot up into the air, locked in battle, and consumed by their hatred for one another.

Urd paused in her fight, looking up to see the snarls of energy her sister was unleashing, countering the Death Dealer perfectly. _'Great Almighty!'_ she thought, learning something new about her sister. Something that she had never even seen about her.

She was _dangerous_.

Amara reentered the area, picking up a Zat weapon, and aiming immediately. She started zapping any Agent that came even close to Neptune. It allowed the Water Senshi to focus more on the opponents in front of her, utilizing her martial arts training more effectively.

Sloane kept an eye out on her, her strength surpassing even Neptune's. Every enemy she hit was sent flying, allowing her some time to finish off others before she became overwhelmed. She was like a ballerina... a deadly ballerina. Her dance was one perfected over a thousand years by Wind Warriors before her.

Gaia and Zarm finally regained their bearings, stabilizing their flight. "I don't remember hurting this much when we fought him last," the Spirit of Destruction said.

"Obviously, he found other power sources to bolster his own strength." Gaia glared at the two combatants in the distance. "Probably by killing the original holders."

That didn't sound very good, even to Zarm. "Then perhaps we should get back in there. I doubt Belldandy can take him alone."

As if to add weight to that statement, Sakar suddenly let loose a roundhouse punch that struck the First Class Goddess across the jaw. Belldandy flew backwards at near hurricane force, only stopping when she slammed into the nearest building. She immediately rocketed forward, ignoring the screaming muscles in her body.

Sakar casually swatted both spirits down to the ground, as if they were insignificant insects. Then he brought his foot down, smashing across the back of Belldandy's head, sending her down the same way, only much faster, and harder.

He followed her down, landing gently.

Belldandy slowly picked herself up, her body protesting every movement. Ignoring it, she stood once again, glaring at him, her fury overriding her pain.

Sakar shook his head. "What is it about you fools that you cannot accept the inevitable?" he asked, as Gaia and Zarm stood up. "Can you not see that it is hopeless?" He brought his hand up.

And was quickly blindsided when Planet punched him from the side, breaking his concentration. He flew back several feet, coming to a rest near a wall. Staggering to his feet, he was met by another fist, slamming him into the wall.

Planet grabbed his throat, holding him in place. "Those people won't give up so long as they can still draw breath. No one who cares for this planet will. Me... I've got a revelation." Drawing his fist back, he began pounding the Death Dealer.

Amara turned around as the sound of crumbling mortar caught her attention. She immediately saw the wall nearest her begin to buckle from an unseen force. She quickly moved out of the way as an Agent gave chase.

Sakar suddenly exploded out of the wall, slamming into his servant. He continued on his way as the Agent fell to the ground, before hitting the ground.

Planet stepped through the hole, his gaze hard as diamond. "I get my emotions from Heart, Sakar," he snarled. "My ability to change my shape from Water, and my invulnerability from Earth. Now, where do you think I get my strength from?"

Sakar got up, and swung a fist. Planet blocked it, and launched a successful uppercut at him. He hit the ground again, rubbing his jaw.

"Correct, from Fire and Wind." Planet's fist clenched, energy collecting around him. "What we have here is my first real opportunity to cut loose... and to show you, just how powerful I really am." With that, the energy unleashed, and he shot forward, his fist drawn back.

And when he connected with Sakar's jaw, it would be a day to remember. It was the day that Sakar learned that he could fly backwards... across an entire city.

Planet's full power, combined with his momentum, smashed Sakar backwards at speeds only capable for highly advanced fighter jets. He slammed into the top of the highest buildings in Nekomi, not even slowing down. At the edge of the city, Planet met him, hands laced together. And he used those laced together hands to stop Sakar's journey rather violently, sending him crashing down to the ground.

Sakar hit the street, smashing through the concrete with the force of a small mortar. The damage surrounding him was much more extensive, as pipes were ruptured. A cloud of dust went into the air, dissipating quickly.

Sakar slowly pushed himself to a standing position, every part of his body sore. And he had no one to blame but himself. He should have known that Planet would get his strength and power from his two deadliest enemies.

Planet landed at the edge of crater, glaring down at him. "Had enough?" he asked.

Sakar grinned. "Not quite yet, Spirit," he replied, beckoning. "Come to me."

Planet charged forward.

Sakar suddenly became a blur of motion, evading Planet's charge, He grabbed a leg, and threw the spirit skyward, directly into the planet's atmosphere. He had no time to enjoy his little victory, as two bodies slammed into him, throwing him forward. Turning his head, he prepared to give Zarm and Gaia the death that they deserved. After all, they had lasted longer than any spirits before them...

... and felt the body drain from his face.

It wasn't the two Spirits of Earth. It was Fire and Wind. And they both looked extremely angry.

The two Trainees suddenly moved forward, using his distraction to launch their first attack. They were successful, as their fists slammed into his jaw. Two uppercuts for the price of one.

Sakar went airborne again, but was immediately caught by an invisible grip. He immediately recognized it as a Force grip, and saw a flash of honey colored hair, before Wendy threw him back down.

Peter speared him before he could even get past the crater edge, sending him directly at Potter, who used her staff as a baseball bat, smashing him directly into her husband, who obliged this unexpected gift by smashing him skyward with a simple kick to the chin.

Gaia and Zarm were waiting for him. Their fists slammed into his back, sending him flying back towards Nekomi.

And Planet suddenly rocketed downward, grabbing him as he went down. He slammed into the street, all of his remaining power being thrown into the strike.

The explosion could be seen for miles, its force equal to that of a nuclear bomb detonation. Every window in the district shattered from the shockwaves that occurred. Planet immediately returned to the five rings, having used up all of his power.

Sakar slowly picked himself up again, spitting ether out of his mouth. Today wasn't going as he had hoped. He had hoped to have killed Belldandy and the two Spirits, becoming the strongest spirit period. Then he would have turned his attention to Sloane and Ivanova.

Instead, he was in serious pain for the first time. Planet had done some serious damage to him. The two Trainees had become exceedingly dangerous. Wendy was far more disciplined than when she had left. Both Potters were ready to attack, and the two Spirits were eyeing him like he was a side of steak.

The Death Dealer became more concerned about surviving this confrontation than he was winning it.

And to make matters worse, he could feel the air vibrations, which told him a massive force was approaching. He could guess what it was, and knew, instinctively, what they were going to do.

As if to prove his theory, _Enterprise_ flew overhead, bathing the entire area with tachyon particles. They were harmless to Gaia and Zarm, as Yggdrasil and Vandrasil had taken extra pains to protect their last two all powerful spirits.

Sakar, whose own connections had been weakened, but were never severed by Yggdrasil or Vandrasil, were destroyed in a most painful manner. He roared, though more in fury than in agony.

Zarm and Gaia traded grins of triumph. They were going to enjoy this.

Sakar turned around, and was immediately greeted a straight right shot by Zarm... and discovered that it _hurt_. He flew back into the side of the crater, feeling several new bruises pop up on his back. There was no way he could win this fight anymore.

It was time to run.

Quickly dodging a follow up from Gaia, whose power created a hole where he used to be. Quickly leaping out of the hole, he glared at the whole lot of them. "See you around, Sloane," he snarled. "When next we meet, I will kill you."

With that parting shot, he vanished, though his threat seemed hollow.

Wheeler glared at the spot his enemy had once occupied, his anger still glowing hot. "Go ahead, Death Dealer," he whispered. "Go ahead. Acquire whatever power you want. I'll be waiting." He turned around, eyeing Belldandy. "Are you alright?"

Belldandy nodded, wincing. "I'll live... though I don't think I'll be doing any serious walking for a while."

"You two?"

Zarm shook his head. "That was the most fun I have had in a long time. Gaia, thank you for calling me."

Gaia smirked. "Don't mention it. I'm fine, too. Also, we think that Doctor Blight is on Hope Island. We just can't find her."

Linka frowned. "Then let us return to Hope Island. Our problems have just multiplied."

* * *

"The pulse worked," Trip stated, grinning. "Yggdrasil reported an almost sixty eight drop in Sakar's power levels. He's only slightly more powerful than our two spirits combined."

"That is certainly good to hear," Mary stated. "At least some good came from this. Teal'c, Zephyer, how'd the evacuation of Nekomi go?"

Teal'c gave an almost smile. "It went extremely well."

"Though continued secrecy concerning your Stargate Command is moot." Zephyer sat down. "I must contact Karken about this. With the Death Dealer now in a weakened position, he will be able to request a change of strategy."

"Sakar won't take this lying down," Sloane interrupted. "He will try to find another power source to replenish himself."

"Or become stronger than ever before," Wheeler added. "We just need to be ready to stop him before he can do that."

Wendy nodded, gaze saddened. "At least one thing went right this week. A family loses its father, my family's trapped in this day and age because of a monster, the Stargate Program will have to be revealed before its time. Whoever's feeding the Deadly Alliance their information knows what they're doing."

Archer nodded in agreement. "Fortunately, Silik was able to give us a great deal of intelligence when Yggdrasil debriefed him," he said. "Hopefully, it'll be enough to help us prepare for the Goa'uld."

Belldandy sat up, waving off Janet for a moment. "We have another problem. We're only week from the Sunak invasion. If you can't get them to call off their attack, Zephyer, we're going to have to fight them, regardless."

Zephyer frowned. "That thought had occurred to me."

"And if there is a chance that we can stop the attack without bloodshed, I'll take it." Archer frowned for a moment. "But back to Sakar. What power source is there that he could use to his advantage?"

For a moment, no one responded. They had all been asking themselves the same question, and had no answer. Then...

"Neverland," Wendy murmured, looking up.

Malcolm turned to her, understanding and disbelief dawning in his face. "You don't think..."

"He would be crazy enough to do that," Linka stated. "The only question is... what are we going to do about it?"

Peter sighed, standing up. "I know what I'm going to do... I'm going home."

"Then so am I." Tiger Lily stood up as well. "My people are there, and I must protect them, and everyone else in Neverland."

Gaia smiled. "An excellent idea, Peter."

"And I'm going with you."

"Wendy."

"I am going with you," Wendy repeated firmly. "I've been given a second chance. "I'm not going to let slip from me again. What about you?"

Peter grinned. "I wouldn't dream of it."

Archer also started grinning, before turning to his tactical officer. "Malcolm, I want you to act as liaison officer between _Enterprise_ and Yggdrasil. Think you can do that?"  
Malcolm grinned. "I'll try, sir."

"Hopefully, all of this will be enough. As Belldandy has stated, we're only a week away from the Sunak invasion." Wheeler turned towards Planet Vision, where a large tactical map of the Earth was. "We have that long to develop a plan to defeat Sakar, open negotiations with Karken, and stop Goa'uld before they can launch their attack. It's a massive undertaking... but it's one that I'm sure we will all accomplish. Now let's do this so we can get back to our other jobs."

T-Pol smirked. "Excellent idea."

* * *

And here is the new Chapter Twenty, which I actually like more than the original. Now, Peter and Wendy are going to find themselves in Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption, as I am still going to do the storyline I had originally planned... just no Hook.

Well, as you've probably noticed, I didn't make any changes to the story up to this point, and for good reason. I erased it all when I should have only erased Twenty and Twenty One.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

Smith stared outward, over the vast field of New Zealand, a swelling of pride going through him. He had served Sakar faithfully over the two millennium across the galaxy, waiting for his Lord and Master to give him the chance to do something. And here it was.

An army of Agents worthy of the Death Dealer. _His_ army.

Heaven's network had only determined a small fraction of Sakar's forces and activities. In reality, he had been preparing for war against the Earth ever since he landed on this small dust ball. For here were two spirits who possessed the last all powerful energy force left in the Spirit System. And Sakar, who had been growing stronger with the destruction of each spirit, wanted that power.

But the transmission from Sakar made that a little more difficult than before. Without his connections to both Yggdrasil and Vandrasil, he was no longer a match for one spirit, let alone three. And with the Sunak coming ever closer to their plans for invasion, that was dangerous.

Fortunately, the Master had a backup plan in line. He would go to Neverland, and absorb the mystical energies of the world to bolster his own power. At the same time, he would deal with the Peter Pan and his little girlfriend, and anyone else who came with him.

Smith grinned. Even weakened, Sakar was still the definition of unbeatable. Nothing could stop him.

Not even Fire and Wind.

* * *

"We have searched and scanned this island at least twenty times," Sloane said. "We still haven't found that bitch."

Potter turned towards the Crystal Chamber, watching the people swarming around. "More than a hundred refugees altogether. An honorable man murdered on the altar of power. Sakar going after Keiichi's family and friends. What is the Deadly Alliance trying to do? Piss the Guardians off?"

"That's probably the plan. They bring your people into this, and everything you worked so hard to protect gets destroyed."

The Guardian of Magic was forced to concede that. It had always been evil's goal to do just that. If they could do that, then nothing could stop them. The Balance would be irrevocably destroyed.

James walked up to them, his gaze stormy. "Zephyer has been unable to acquire contact with the fleet. For all intents and purposes, he's dead to them."

"So they'll come."

"I'm afraid so, Dear."

Sloane turned towards the ocean, watching the sun set in the distance. "I hope we get a miracle, then," she said. "Otherwise, we're all in trouble."

* * *

Above Hope Island, like a god observing his world, Peter stared at the home of the Planeteers.

He had been up there for almost thirty minutes, unable to get the events that had occurred on that other Earth out of his head. Everything that had happened, everyone who had died, had died because he had been there.

No, that wasn't fair. His presence there merely had accelerated those plans. He should have been proud that he and the others managed to get those people from the camp out of there.

And yet... there it was. That feeling of guilt.

Peter had never felt guilty before in his life. In all of the years he had lived in Neverland, he had never had reason to feel that way. He never did anything to the Indians, the Lost Boys stayed together somewhat, and the pirates were justifiable, seeing as how Hook was the one who started the pseudo war between them.

But now, he knew that he was no longer the young boy who thought everything was an adventure. He was now a young man who had been given a rather large dose of reality.

And so here he hovered, deep in thought, trying to determine how he was going to be able to protect his home from a being who, even weaker, was still stronger than him, and more dangerous than anything before him.

"Peter?"

The young man turned his head to see Wendy floating next to him, looking rather concerned. "I'm okay," he said, seeing the question in her eyes. "I'm just trying to figure out what I'm going to do when we get there."

Wendy sat down next to him, knowing how he felt. She had been wondering the same thing. And, like him, she hadn't come up with anything. "Well, everybody is worried about you. You have been up here for quite a while."

"I know. I just..." Peter's eyes slid closed. "For the first time in my life, I have no idea what I'm going to do."

For a long moment, neither of them said, or did anything. They simply sat on that cloud, and looked over the island. Each of them knew that every decision they had made up to this moment, was a decision that would shape their lives forevermore.

Wendy turned to look at the young boy, and did not see the eternal youth of her childhood. The young boy to whom she gave her hidden kiss to. Instead, she saw a young man, one who was questioning himself... doubting himself. She smiled slightly, taking in his maturing features, before deciding on a move.

Peter, whose eyes were closed, was surprised when he felt a pair of lips connect with his own. His open flew open, catching sight of honey colored curls, before they slid closed again, gripping Wendy in a loose embrace.

The two of them slowly broke apart after several minutes, breathing a bit difficult. "What... what was that for?" Peter asked, looking decidedly happier than a moment before.

Wendy smiled, stroking a cheek, not answering. "Peter, what are your real feelings? What do you feel?" she asked in response.

Peter blinked, surprised at the change in conversation... before remembering, all those years ago, in Neverland, that question being asked. Back then, he didn't understand what she had meant.

Now he did.

Frowning slightly, he mulled over the question. "Honestly... friendship, loyalty, and trust. Those I've known about for years. As for my feelings for you... I don't know. I've... never felt this way before."

Wendy's smile grew softer still. "How do you feel?"

"I feel... like I'm on top of the world. Like nothing could take me down. And, when you kissed me... I felt this fluttering sensation..."

"... Well, if you want my... opinion, I think you now fully understand what love is."

Peter chuckled, holding out a hand. "Well, come on. I get the feeling your father will start worrying about you."

Wendy smirked. "When does he not?"

"Fair point."

* * *

Wheeler frowned as he stretched his senses out, trying to find his nemesis. So long as Sakar remained on Earth, he would still be a threat to anyone he came across. And Blight was still a problem. Despite several sweeps of the island, their most danger Eco Villain had managed to remain elusive. Laura was dead tired, and so was Ma-Ti. So Clash and an entire platoon of sentinels were doing a physical inspection of every person presently there.

The Fire Planeteer leaned back, rubbing his eyes. A full week of hell, with another promised for them all. There was no way his family line was getting paid enough for this.

Katie walked in, seeing the expression on his face. "Oooookay, Brother, you need to get away from that screen," she said. "Otherwise, your eyes are going to stay glued open for the rest of your life."

Wheeler turned around, glaring at his sister. "Eleven years of not seeing each other, you spend the last three days insulting me."

"Catching up for those eleven years."

"Huh."

The younger Sloane frowned for a moment. "What's really bothering you, Wheeler?" she asked.

Wheeler turned around in his seat. "Sakar's obsession with me and Linka. You would think after a thousand years, he would take a hint, and run."

"Evil never truly rests. It may be defeated, but never destroyed. It's a cancer."

"It's necessary for the balance."

"Why?" Katie sat down next to Wheeler, gaze questioning. "Why is it so important that evil live?"

Wheeler smiled slightly, ruffling his sister's hair affectionately. "Katya, I'm going to tell you something that someone once told me. 'Good is the solution for evil. Evil is the task for good.' Neither can live without the other. If Good never existed, Evil would eventually destroy everything. If Evil never existed, Good would eventually become Evil."

"So... 'Evil' has to exist, so people don't walk down that road themselves?"

"Not as simplistic as we would like it to be, but there you have it."

Katie thought about it for a few moments. "What happens if evil were to become too powerful?"

Wheeler sighed. "Then may God help us." He turned around. "Babeuoska."

Linka smiled slightly. "Your mother told me that you were still in here, Yankee, looking for Sakar."

Wheeler nodded, grinning. "I haven't found him, yet. I probably won't, either." His grin grew. "Is this your subtle way of telling me that I should get something to eat?"

"My own, little subtle way," Linka replied, returning the grin. "Dinner is ready."

The Fire Planeteer shook his head, getting up. "Then, by all means, I should get something to eat. Coming, sis?"

Katie got up. "Sure. I was getting hungry."

"Come on, runt."

* * *

Belldandy stretched her arms out, testing them. Finding no pain coming from her joints, she smiled. "Thanks, Ex. I owe you."

Ex grinned. "Next time, don't get slammed into the ground at near the speed of sound. You going to be okay?"

"Go on. I'll be fine. And besides, I'm sure others could use some help."

"Alright... stay off your feet for a few hours more." The second class Goddess made her way out of the room., a skip to her step.

Smiling slightly, Belldandy laid back, letting her eyes close for a moment. Everyone else was busy trying to locate Blight, or helping the refugees. SG-1 was still at Stargate Command, mobilizing everything they could to prepare for the coming battle with the Sunak. Archer was onboard the _Enterprise_, coordinating with both NORAD and Thor. Peter and Wendy were preparing for their journey, as well as enjoying a few moments to themselves. Right now, she was just waiting for...

"There you are, big sis!"

The First class Goddess smiled as Skuld bounded into the room, looking very hyper. She had every right to be, seeing as how Sakar was no longer the danger he once was. A great victory, in any case. That, and the fact that she was in no danger of dying at the moment. "I take it you were worried," she said in understatement.

"You know it!" Skuld hugged her sister fiercely, as if she would never let her go. "You could have been killed, Belldandy!"

"No more than anyone else fighting there." Belldandy winced. "Skuld, could you let go of me? I'm still sore."  
"Oh... sorry!" The young Goddess backed up slightly. "I'm just glad you're okay."

"I won't do something like that again if I don't have to." Belldandy gestured for her little sister to sit down. "Skuld, I want to ask you something."

"Yeah, what?"

"Well... I was wondering, what is it that you strive to be. You never mentioned your dreams, after all."

Skuld frowned. "You know, Mom asked me the same question. I really... don't know." She looked up at her sister. "I guess... I really want to be like you, Belldandy."

Belldandy's smile faded, and she looked out the window. "You should have a better role model than me, Skuld," she said. "Especially since of the past week."

"What do you mean?"

"I lied to you, Skuld. I left you and Keiichi at home. I placed you in danger without realizing it."

Skuld frowned. That didn't sound like the Belldandy she knew. She was always strong, steady. A pillar of calmness and self determination. She always listened to both Urd and herself on numerous occasions.

This woman before her, had had a life altering experience eleven years ago. It came back to haunt her over the last week. She had witnessed her hatred for Sakar come out on the Planet Vision. And it frightened her... but it also showed that her sister could feel other emotions than happiness.

Steeling herself, Skuld looked at her sister. "I don't think I do," she replied firmly, more firmly than she thought possible, considering the circumstances. "You did what you had to do to keep us safe. You taught me so much, about how to be kind and considerate about others feelings. And you didn't go looking for him. You went with your life." She smiled. "I'm proud to have you as my big sister."

Belldandy stared at her in surprise. "Skuld..." she got out. "... thank you." Impulsively, she leaned in, hugging her sister, tears running down her cheeks. "I couldn't ask for a better sister."

* * *

Trip observed the warp core for a moment longer, before turning to Berdanz. "Keep the plasma injectors purged as much as possible," he said. "I also want a full report on the left nacelle that was hit in the fight. We can't afford to have any problem when the Sunak show up."

Berdanz nodded. "See you tomorrow, Sir. And try to get some sleep. You're no good to anyone half awake."

"Thanks for the advice, Lieutenant." The Chief Engineer clapped his subordinate on the shoulder as he passed, heading out of Engineering.

The truth of it was, he was exhausted. The last week had been hell. He barely got around three hours of sleep on any given day, and that hadn't sat well with the Doctor. It didn't sit well with T-Pol, either, but she hadn't bothered him about it.

But he knew who to turn to. With that thought, he made for his quarters to grab his sleepwear.

Ten minutes later, he was outside T-Pol's quarters, chiming for entry. "Enter," her voice wafted from inside.

The Chief Engineer stepped inside, seeing T-Pol put her candle out, and correctly assumed that he had caught her at the end of her meditation cycle. "I was hoping that you could help me out," he said. "I need a good night's sleep tonight."

T-Pol smiled slightly, gesturing to the bed. "I was waiting for you to admit that, Trip. Let me see if vulcan neural pressure can help you again. You can tell what's bothering you."

Trip nodded, grinning. T-Pol was a great friend, and he was proud that he was her friend. She trusted him enough to wait until he was ready to talk.

Sitting down on the bed, facing T-Pol with his eyes, he felt the young Vulcan's hands touch his face, working the katra points there. He could feel the tension start to leave his face. "I've been havin' the dreams again," he began.

"The ones about your sister." It wasn't a question, but a gentle statement of understanding.

"They're getting worse."

T-Pol went to work on his neck, feeling a swell of sorrow go through her. Through the bond the two of them shared, one unlike a bond between two vulcans, she could feel his fear and grief. Or was it her own she felt? "The Xindi were manipulated by someone from the future, Trip," she reminded him gently. "It could have easily been the Klingons."

"I know... but they would have never created a weapon of that magnitude."

"... A very logical point."

Trip heard the slightly teasing tone in her voice, and smiled slightly as she started working on his shoulders. She was trying to cheer him up by poking fun at her own race. It was a testament of their friendship that she was comfortable enough to do that. "We're known for that," he replied, letting out a slight groan when her hands, slightly warmer than the surrounding skin, moved to his lower back. He felt his mental stress ebb away. "Thanks," he said.

T-Pol smiled. "It's the least I can do for you. I just wish... I just wish I could do more." Her smile faded. "No one should lose their family in that matter."

Trip smiled in return. "You've done a lot, T-Pol. I know I haven't been easy to deal with." He got up. "Thanks. I guess I'll go back to my quarters, now."

T-Pol grabbed his arm, though not enough to hurt him. "Stay," she said. "Why don't you tell me more about your family? You never spoke of them... to me, anyways."

Trip's smile became a grin. "Well..."

* * *

Phlox sat at his desk, rechecking his findings. They were still the same from the last four times.

"Doctor Phlox?"

The doctor turned to see Mary and George entering Sickbay. "Ah, Mister and Mrs. Darling. Thank you for coming." He got up. "When I did a physical of your children, I also did a midi chlorian count, after Master Qui Gon showed me what to look for. I found something very interesting, and disturbing." He led them to the main screen. "For John and Michael's scans, I detected the usual antibodies from the Chicken Pox, and several different cold bacteria. Their midi chlorian count was a count of sixteen thousand."

"Equal to my own," Mary murmured. "At least they won't be envious." She frowned. "What about Wendy?"

"First, I have to ask you... has your daughter ever been sick? Ever?"

George frowned as well. "... No. I don't believe so."

"There is a good reason for that." Phlox brought Wendy's results up. "Your daughter is literally saturated with the creatures. They are infused throughout her being. I couldn't even get a count."

"So... what does that mean?"

"It means that Wendy is quite capable of doing... anything. Anything from stopping the fusion of the stars, to revitalizing a person's entire genetic structure."  
Mary stared at him in shock. "Are you saying... that my daughter has infinite power?" she asked.

Phlox nodded. "I am afraid so."

The Jedi sat down on the bio bed, trying to absorb this latest development. She and Yoda were capable of lifting star fighters up in a crunch. She had no doubt in her mind that Anakin, given proper training, would be able to move small cruisers.

Her daughter, it seemed, would be able to move _planets_ if she chose to. And she was already accessing that power. The memory of the one who she once deemed friend, but soon showed himself to be her enemy flashed through her mind. She was afraid that she would soon watch her own flesh and blood follow a similar path.

As if sensing her dilemma, Phlox smiled. "I wouldn't worry about it too much, Mrs. darling," he said. "Wendy has had a very strict upbringing by her aunt, and you have shown her nothing but love and trust. Those are your greatest weapons against the darkness. She'll be fine."

Mary looked at him. "It's just... I had a friend once who was once like Wendy. He couldn't control his anger, and... he became the most powerful Sith Lord in recent history... well, recent for me, that is."

Phlox nodded. "I can understand your concern... Mary, but the person in question, as well as how they were raised, are vital tools as to shape their personality. Your daughter is strong of will and mind, but kind, gentle, and has never wanted for anything except adventure, and the chance to grow into her own person." He observed them for a moment. "What did he do?"

George looked at him. "He almost destroyed this world."

"Ah."

Mary got up, her gaze on her daughter's stats. "I hope," she said, her worry in full force, "that you are right, Doctor. Because if you're not, then we will all be in trouble."

* * *

Archer shut off his Captain's Log, petting Porthos behind his ears as he gave him some cheese. If the next week was like this one, it may be the last moment of calm he would have.

Sakar was no longer on the planet. Silik was in their brig, stewing. More reinforcements were coming. For all accounts, they had the situation well in hand.

But... there were still problems. Doctor Blight was still unaccounted for. The Sunak were still posed to attack within the week. And the Xindi were on the verge of attacking his Earth. By all accounts, he should be on his way home. Except... Alania had said she would send word to Starfleet about the situation, and send a ship to Xindi space to take out the weapon. In short, their bases were being covered.

So why did he feel so uneasy?

* * *

Urd glared at Planet Vision as it began its tenth scan of Hope Island, trying to locate Doctor Blight. The two Heart Planeteers had finally turned in for the night, too exhausted mentally to continue. Gaia was doing a visual search of the island alongside Zarm and Clash.

Everyone that could look for her was doing just that. Peorth was even trying to obtain permission to use Yggdrasil's primary sensor grid to find her. Which left her and Ex trying to find her the old fashioned way.

"Tenth scan negative," Ex reported. "Initiating scan of quadrant 56... again."

"Search for the villain, Take Eleven." Urd sighed. "Oh, what's the use? We're not going to find her with this. The Asgard have swept this entire place from head to toe, and they didn't find anything." She sank down, rubbing her eyes. "Six hours of this, and for what? Not a damn thing. She's good."

Ex looked at her. "We'll find her. Maybe not immediately, but we'll find her." She sighed, rubbing her neck fretfully. "I just hope we find her soon. Otherwise, we won't be able to find out what she knows."

Urd frowned. "Maybe that isn't necessary... we can assume that she knows a great deal." Her frown suddenly cleared. "Hold on... that's it."

"What?"

"Maybe we can force her hand. Make her force her hand." She turned. "I need Skuld."

Now Ex understood.

* * *

Silik observed the walls of his cell onboard _Enterprise_, fingering the small device he had acquired during his time roaming the ship. He had managed to enter the sealed quarters of the time traveler who plagued Archer so, acquiring the means of his freedom.

And now, he began his bid.

----

Archer looked up from his computer terminal as the lights flickered off for a moment, before coming back on. "Archer to Engineering."

_"Sorry, Sir,"_ Hess replied apologetically. _"We had a power fluctuation in the plasma network. Everything was disrupted for about a minute. We can't seem to determine the source."_

"Let me know when you do." Archer signed off, sighing.

_"Detention block to Captain Archer!"_

"Go ahead."

_"Silik has escaped, Sir. He vanished into the Jefferies tubes before we could stop him!"_

"Seal off all hatchways! Post teams at every access point! I'm on my way down!" He was out the door in an instant. "Malcolm, start scanning the ship! We need to find him!"  
"Aye, sir." Malcolm quickly started running hi scan, but blinked. "Sir, the entire grid is offline!"  
The Captain quickly put the pieces together. "Communications?"  
Hoshi shook her head. "No good. All I'm getting is static."

Archer sat down in his seat. Silik had been preparing for this very thing. All Archer wanted to know was why. Why didn't he escape before?

* * *

Kwame sat crossed legged on his bed, watching Gi as she went through her relaxation exercises, amazed at how gracefully her body moved. His own exercises, which he used to wake up, were nowhere near as graceful.

The young Thai woman finally stood up fully, a serene smile on her face. She caught him watching her, and her smile took a more questioning feel. "Why are you staring at me?" she asked.

Kwame blushed. "I was watching you stretch," he replied. "You move like a cat."

Gi giggled a bit at this, blushing. "Thank you, Kwame. I've never been compared to a cat, before." She quickly sat down next to him, moving automatically so that he could enfold her in his arms. "So, why?"

"Hmm?"  
"Why me? Besides convenience, I mean?"

Kwame looked at her. "Gi, convenience had nothing to do with it. As for why... well, you are strong, intelligent, beautiful, and full of joy. You kept my spirits up when I was down, and you let me see when you were hurt." He grinned. You also have a cute butt."

Gi laughed, kissing him. "You really sweet, you know that?"

"So I have been told... once... at this moment, in fact." Kwame maneuvered them both so that they were lying down, facing each other. "So, what do you think is going to happen? After we save the day again?"  
Gi thought about it for a moment, trailing a hand over his cheek. "Well, I assume that Wheeler and Linka will become Guardians, and go on adventures that would these ones to shame. Ma-Ti and Laura will go find a quiet place to settle down, or stay here, where it is quiet. You and I will have this _huge_ fight about where we'll live, either near my family, or yours, before deciding it peacefully. We'll most likely have ten kids to worry about."

"Ten kids?" Kwame murmured, leaning in to start kissing her neck. "Quite a large number..."  
"Very large." Gi smiled in pleasure when he moved part of her nightgown down her body, exposing a breast. "We'd better get started, then..."

* * *

John had been wandering around Hope Island for several hours, attempting to find Tiger Lily. Which was, unto itself, was a difficult task. The Princess was an adept hunter, who knew how to hide. It wouldn't surprise him if she were to jump out and...

His musings were cut short when he was suddenly grabbed by the back of his shirt, and pulled into a nearby bush. "Hello," he managed to get out.

Tiger Lily giggled, letting him turn around. "Do you have any idea how long I was hiding in that bush, watching you walk by?" she asked, eyes twinkling. "I was about ready to leap out and scream... what is that phrase you people use?"

"Bloody murder?"

"That's it."

John shook his head, straightening his glasses out. "Well, I for one, am forever glad that you did not. The last thing we need is to incite a panic."

"Fair point."

The young man stood up, offering his friend a hand. "Well, you certainly have been keeping yourself at your absolute best."

Tiger Lily nodded as they started walking. "I see no reason why I should not. We are in a situation that is unlike any before it. Anyone who can fight shall be needed to do so."

"So you are planning to go through with your... going home?"

"Of course I am. I will not allow my people to die. Not if I can do anything about it."

John nodded, frowning in thought for a moment. "Then I am going with you," he said.

Tiger Lily stopped, turning to him in shock. "What?"

"I am going with you and Peter tomorrow."

"But... John... you have very little experience with sword fighting! There are still dangers there that even Peter and myself are unaware of in Neverland!" She looked at him. "Why are you willing to risk your life?"

John fidgeted. "Because... I care about you, Princess." He blushed slightly. "I also want to get away from the Lost Boys. They heard about my... first kiss."

That did it. Tiger Lily cracked up, clutching her sides with hilarity. "They found out? From who?"

John started chuckling. "From Michael," he replied, finally giving in to his own hilarity. "He blew it completely out of proportion! They have been pestering me about it for the last several years!"

"The tribe had been asking me questions about that, as well! The females in particular!"  
John shook his head, grinning. "Would you like to tell them that we were both only ten?" he asked.

"Better to let them wonder. They will have more fun." The princess smiled, hugging him. "Thank you, John. I really needed that."

John blushed, returning the hug. "Anytime." He turned around, looking toward the huts. "But now, I suggest that we get back to the huts. Otherwise, my aunt will have a nervous breakdown."

"An excellent idea."

* * *

Janet finished her analysis of the Agent corpse, shaking her head. She wasn't too happy about what she found out, that was for sure. Finishing with her notes, she leaned back, mentally preparing herself for the next part of her job.

Three minutes later, she was sitting in a chair adjacent to Hammond, watching as he went through her report. "Is this... even possible?" he asked.

"I'm afraid so, Sir. The Guardians have experimented in genetic engineering, but only to augment weak body organs due to birth defects, or to improve hand-eye coordination. To physically augment every single aspect of a human being, or any other type of lifeform, would be a foolish idea, not to mention immoral."

"And yet, Sakar, or at least this Smith character, is capable of doing just that."

"Yes, Sir." Now came the hard part. "I think it may have been done by an... old acquaintance of mine."

Hammond eyed her shrewdly. "This wouldn't happen to be the same 'acquaintance' you ran into on Chulak, now would it?"

"It is."

The general nodded once, setting the report down. "I don't need to remind you that we're only a week away from the invasion of the Sunak," he said. "I can't have my people keeping information from me that could help us in this fight."

Janet returned his gaze. "General, I have nothing that can help us win this battle," she replied. "Everything I have kept from you is strictly personal, and none of yours, or anyone else's business. Yes, I am a doctor. I am still mortal. And I am a major of the United States Air Force. Everything else is window dressing."

Well, when she put it that way... "Go home. Spend some time with your daughter. It'll probably be the last time you'll get for a long time."

"Thank you, Sir." Janet got up, and made for the door.

"Janet..." Hammond waited until she had turned around. "Senator Kimsi is planning on discussing a possible transfer for you to Washington."

"Tell Kimsi that if he tries, I will hand in my resignation immediately."

"I had a feeling you'd say that. I'll pass the message along."

Janet nodded. "Thanks, General."

----

Cassie finished up her math homework, double checking her answers. Satisfied, she declared her homework finished. Quickly getting up, she started down the stairs to the kitchen.

She had just gotten a cup of juice when the door opened, admitting her foster mother. "Hey, Cassie."

"Hi, Mom. And yes, I did finish my homework," Cassie added, smiling. "I thought Doctor Jackson was coming over, too."

"He'll be here. He's just finishing up some research."

"Which means he's trying to find out about you."

"Guilty as charged. He'll be here in about six minutes."

Cassie's smile became slightly mischievous. "He likes you, you know," she commented casually, sipping her drink.

Janet turned to her. "Of course he does," she replied, misunderstanding. "We're friends and colleagues."

"I meant more than that, Mom, and you know it." The young girl took great delight in watching her mother blush. "And you like him, too."

Janet chuckled, rubbing her kid's head affectionately. "What'd I ever do without you?" she asked.

"Work yourself to exhaustion," Cassie replied. "Mom, do you think... we'll win?"

It took a moment for Janet to answer, but when she did, it was with true conviction. "Beyond any shadow of a doubt." She grinned. "Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to get dinner ready, okay?"

Cassie nodded, smiling. "Sure." She left the kitchen, making her way to the living room. If there was one thing she liked, it was her mom's cooking.

She had barely settled herself on the couch, and was reaching for the remote control, when the doorbell rang. Smiling, she went over to the door, opening it. "Hi, Doctor Jackson."

Daniel returned the smile, giving the girl a big hug. "I'm not early, am I?" he asked.

"You are, but that's good." She pulled him in. "Come on. You can tell me about that necklace you gave Mom at her birthday." Anything to gauge how close she was to the truth.

Daniel grinned. "Well..."

* * *

"It will take _how _long?" Sakar asked, glaring at the Jaffa before him.

The Jaffa was a credit to his race. He stared Sakar straight in the eye as he replied, "The chaapa'ai on the other side has been buffeted by various forces throughout its five millennium rest. So, it will take a week for the address commands to reach the other DHD."

The Death Dealer stormed away, infuriated. A week was all that remained of the Sunak deadline. When they discovered that he was no longer on Earth, they would continuwe their hunt of him, and it would be too late.

But if they attacked, then he would lose his chance of killing Gaia and Zarm, and absorbing their powers. Every plan he had ever made, every strategy he had created, were on the verge of falling apart. He needed to find a way to tip the scales in his favor.

Fortunately, he had such a plan to use.

When he had learned of Neverland, and that a young woman had be allowed to go there, he had begun keeping an eye on the Darling family, learning everything he could of them. His operatives, one who was onboard the _Enterprise_, masquerading as a member of the crew, had begun watching Commander Tucker and Subcommander T-Pol, watching as their friendship began to grow into something more.

The Xindi threat gave them the opening they were hoping for.

Peter, hovering with Tiger Lily at the Darling window, had given them another such opportunity. The Agent discovered what she needed to enter Neverland, and used her entry to send the whole lot of them into the future. At the same time, the Agent onboard the starship used her unique abilities to open a portal between the two realms, removing the only obstacle the Xindi would have had to worry about.

Afterwards, though, everything started going wrong. The Force, sensing the change in Existence, had resurrected Qui Gon Jinn. His return, as well as Lily Potter's return to the fold, had thrown quite few crimps in his plans. James Potter had also returned, and Janet Fraiser revealing herself to be a Trainee had added even more problems to the equation.

And finally, the battle at Nekomi, where he relearned what it meant to feel pain. And his main source of power, the energy lines connecting him to Yggdrasil, was cut off from him forever.

Which now meant he would have to go to Neverland, and absorb the mystical energies that had created it. It would destroy the world in question, but it was a small price to pay to reclaim that which was rightfully his.

Then, all would fall before him.

* * *

Zephyer cursed in Telazian, leaning back in his seat. "I am unable to reach the fleet," he said. "My communication array is not powerful enough to reach them."

Bra-tac nodded, not surprised. "You would have to be closer to them for the signal to translate," he inquired.

"Unfortunately." The pilot turned around. "I will need to speak to Captain Archer about taking me to the fleet, so I can make my report in person."

The Jaffa Master nodded, sitting down. He knew all about the frustrations of trying to coordinate with his fellow warriors, or even warn them of traps. "Then I shall join you on this endeavor."

"You? Commander Karken would never listen to a Jaffa warrior."

"Ah, but a Jaffa warrior and one of his own officers, telling him the same thing? He will have no choice but to agree with us?"

Karken turned to him. "A little optimistic, do you not think?" he asked. "He may not believe either of us."

"It is a chance we will have to take. Any chance that we get to stop this invasion, we must take it."

"... You raise an excellent point."  
Bra-tac nodded, standing back up. "I shall make the arrangements. Perhaps you should keep trying to contact them. We may become fortunate."

Zephyer nodded, reactivating the communication grid. "Zephyer to _Crusher_. Commander Karken, please come in..."

* * *

Samantha sat back in her seat, rubbing her eyes fretfully. Today was just one emergency too many for her.

Jacob looked at her for a moment longer in silence, fork hovering over his dinner. "Tired, kid?" he asked.

"Like you wouldn't believe," Sam muttered. "I really need to find another way to earn my paycheck."

"Well, look at it this way. At least you're still alive to complain about it, despite the various situations you've found yourself in."

"... Good point, Dad."

The retired General observed his only child for a moment more. "Tomorrow, what exactly does Hammond want you to do?"

"He wants to start research the Naquadah long term effects if we go ahead with making it a weapon." Sam took a drink of water, rubbing her neck fretfully. "Afterwards, Colonel O'Neill and myself will be reporting to Hope Island, and coordinate with military leaders from across the planet."

"Then you need some sleep," Jacob stated. "So go to bed."

"I can't Dad. I have to finish the calculations for that Supergate in orbit, and find a way to attach it to our computer systems..."

"The Potters can take care of that. They don't need to worry about losing sleep as much as you do. Now, as your father, I am telling you to go to sleep. Okay?" He saw the argument already forming in her eyes. "Don't make me get Jack in here," he added.

That shut her up real fast. "One of these days, you're going to want me to like you when you finally retire from diplomatic work," she said instead, weary humor shining through.

"Yeah, later. For now, bed."

"Yes, Sir." The Air Force captain got up, leaving the Mess Hall. Jacob finished his meal, and made his way out as well. He was going to find a quiet place to collapse for a few hours before he spoke to the Tok'ra High Command. Sel'mac had a great deal to report.

They'd both need their shut eye for that. Otherwise, the Council will probably decide to face off against the Goa'uld and their allies alone.

And in this instance, that would be fatal.

* * *

Galaxia stood, almost rigid, as she watched the Goa'uld fleet slowly consolidate around the Supergate at their command. She was alone, as her Sailor Animates were busy cleaning up her chambers. Soon, though, the System Lords would all converge on her, demanding reports upon reports.

The Golden Senshi hated all of them. Only true immortals like herself and Sakar deserved to be called rulers of the galaxy, not parasitic creatures that had to use alien technology to prolong their life spans.

But they had their uses. Unlike herself and the Death Dealer, they had fleets and planets that they could use. Their Jaffa were among the most feared warriors in the universe, and most would follow their god's every order without complaint. In short, they were the perfect expendable proxies in this battle.

The device coming through the Gate, on the other hand, was indispensable.

Galaxia grinned evilly. The Xindi were geniuses in when building weapons and propulsion. They were capable of utilizing transwarp for short periods of time, which allowed them to reach areas faster then conventional ships, and their weapons were capable of destroying everything from insects to entire planets.

The massive sphere that came out of the wormhole, about three quarters the size of the Death Star, fell into the latter category.

Hearing sounds coming down the hall, she steeled herself, and turned around as the System Lords entered the area.

* * *

Morning came, none too quickly for some, too quickly for others.

Mary and George hugged their children, both fighting tears from entering their eyes. To see them, heading off to the world that they had been to once before. "John, I want you to keep an eye on your sister," George said sternly.

John smiled. "Knowing Wendy as I do, she will be keeping an eye on me, instead of the other way around," he replied.

"Good point." The elder Darling turned to his daughter. ""You never were comfortable with the Way Things Were. So, all I can say is, be careful."

"I'll be as careful as the three legged mouse, because that's how I feel. And, watch after yourselves, Father." Wendy sighed. "Sakar's forces are still out there, and so is Blight. They could attack at any time." She turned to Wheeler. "I wish you luck, warrior."

Wheeler grinned, clapping her on the shoulder. "I plan on it. And you two save Neverland. There's still a lot of children out there who will want to read your story."

"Will do."

George turned to Peter. "I want you... to protect my daughter, young man. And bring her back."

Peter nodded, having had the same thought. "I will, Sir," he said firmly. "You can count on it." He held out his hand.

George clasped it firmly, sealing their pact. It was a pact that he knew Peter would hold to. "And, I hope you find something about your family there."

The young man nodded, breaking the grip. He pulled out a small bag of pixie dust which he had at all times, and sprinkled John and Tiger Lily with it. "Let's go," he said, levitating.

Wendy turned to her family. "I'll be back, Mother."

Qui Gon walked up. "Remember what you've learned. It will aide you in this battle."

"I will. I promise." She turned around, and took off, her brother and Tiger Lily following suit. All four of them shot off like bullets, disappearing into the horizon.

Wheeler turned around, eyeing them all for a moment. "Come on, guys," he said. "We have work to do."

Slowly, everyone followed him.

From a secret area of Hope Island, Blight watched as the Eternal Youth and his friends left the area, grinning to herself. She had been waiting for this moment to make her move.

Still grinning, she pressed one button. It sent a signal directly to the Agent forces near Florida coastline.

_They are gone. Prepare for the final phase._

MAL sent the message directly to Smith's personal communicator. "Shall I send the virus, Doctor?" he asked.

Blight grinned. "Go right ahead, MAL baby," she replied. "Yggdrasil can't be allowed to interfere now." Her grin distorted the scarred tissue on her face. "Time to break Earth Mama and Lilith Sloane once and for all. Send the other signal."

Revenge would be hers, in one week.

* * *

And here is Chapter Twenty One. Chapter Twenty Two will begin Week Two of this story, where the majority of the Eco-Villains and Sakar's minion's begin to tighten the noose. There will be guest appearances from my other story for this one, as well as another appearance from the Dark Guardian, and another character. Peter, Wendy, Tiger Lily, and John will be appearing in the next installment of Yu-Gi-Oh: Redemption, and Peter's family heritage will begin to reveal itself to them. Please review. 


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

If one could see everything that was happening on Earth, they would see concentrated movements within every military base across the world.

Every seafaring vessel across the globe was being re-supplied and rearmed. Every nuclear missile was being prepped for launch at a moment's notice.  
In the outer areas of the Solar System, Yggdrasil's primary satellite defense system was being moved into position for the soon to be approaching fleet. The Asgard fleet, and the _Enterprise_ were forming a defense perimeter around the planet, as a last line of defense.

"_The _Fromin _and the _Odin _are now in position_," Thor reported. "_If there are any changes, we shall have to re deploy to accommodate any new vessels._"

Archer nodded, looking at the datapad. "Let's start our sensor sweep of the planet. We're looking for a moving nuclear pile. If we can find this Duke Nukem, we may be able to find Blight."

"_Perhaps._"

Archer nodded, sitting back in his seat as the connection was terminated. He was starting to find Blight annoying. And he had never met the woman. Add Silik's escape to his list of things that he had to deal with, and you had the makings of a very grumpy _Enterprise_ captain.

Hoshi turned around. "Captain, I need to head down the surface. Captain Carter wants me to help her set up the communication relay."

Archer nodded wearily. "Don't get too irritated with the radio," he suggested. "We're not much better."

"Don't worry, Sir. I won't." The Communications Officer grinned as she got up. "And you find that bitch."

Archer and Malcolm both grinned at that. It was saying something if Hoshi used profanity.

Hoshi entered the lift, pressing down on the lever to take her to the Transporter Alcove. There were times she wished the Captain didn't have to worry about this. She had no problem with space travel anymore, but she drew the line with full scale combat, which they were facing within a week. And he had to worry about both Silik, who had managed to escape from the ship, and Doctor Blight, who had managed to elude capture so far. Not to mention the Goa'uld entering the equation.

And she used to think the Klingons were the worst problem they had to worry about.

Stepping off the lift, she nodded to the Transporter Operator. "Beam me to the surface."

"Yes, ma'am." Ah, the joy of having authority over an enlisted man. It was times like these when being an Ensign was worth it.

* * *

"I haven't thought it possible, but I do believe the situation bites," Belldandy mentioned calmly.

Neptune rolled her eyes heavenward. "You're a master of understatement, Belldandy," she replied. "Southern sector is clear. The landing pad is clear."

"Good. Zephyer, you are clear to launch."

_"Understood, Crystal Chamber,"_ Zephyer replied. _"Inform your team that I have wished them all _Formsd._"_

"Will do, Zephyer. And good luck to you as well." Belldandy turned around. "Now to focus on our other problem." She picked up her pack. "Let's go grab ourselves a demon."

The Water Senshi grinned. "Oh yes, let's."

* * *

Amara stood at the makeshift firing range, taking in Jack's explanation of the weapon in her hands. She was in the fight now, so she might as well learn how to use the weapons in question.

"Remember, make sure the safety is off, and only squeeze the trigger lightly," Jack finished with. "And make sure you're pointing it at the enemy when you fire it."

Amara saluted him smartly. "No problem, Colonel. I shall make sure that I don't accidentally kill you or anyone else on our side."

"Good."

_"Carter to Colonel O'Neill."_

Amara grinned as Jack rolled his eyes heavenward, reaching for his comm unit. "Yes, Carter?"

_"Zephyer has launched with Master Bre-tac and Teal'c. I'm going to begin a visual sweep of the island now... outside of the refugee zone."_

Jack nodded. "Tell Daniel to get Fraiser here. I want all Trainees to be prepared."

"_Aye, Sir."_ The link was terminated from her end first.

Jack sighed, turning back to his impromptu protégé. "Well, let's get some practice in today."

Amara saluted. "Yes, Sir."

* * *

Katie and Linka sat at the table, watching as Potter and Sloane sparred. To most people, that level of skill and ferocity would have meant an all out battle.

Katie shook her head. "Mom's still rusty."

"_Da_, I have noticed," Linka replied. "I hope she is ready for the next attack from the Death Dealer."

"That's only if Peter and Wendy fail at stopping him in Neverland. In his weakened state, I doubt he'll be throwing them around like rag dolls."

"Fair point. Where _is_ Wheeler, anyways?"

"Right here." Wheeler swooped in, planting a kiss on Linka's cheek, and ruffling his sister's hair. "Sorry I took so long... but I have some news."

"What? You found Blight?" Katie leaned in. "You won a family trip to Disney World?"

"You are taking me to dinner?" Linka suggested hopefully.

Wheeler grinned. "Actually, it concerns our abilities... and then I'll take you to dinner."

"Oh." Linka giggled as Katie pouted. "You are like a little child being denied her teddy bear."

"I wanted to visit Disney World."

"So do I, but I do not make it sound like a cultural imperative."  
"Okay, girls!" Wheeler exclaimed, laughing. "I get the point! First we beat our enemies, then I'll take the whole lot of you to see Mickey! Is that alright with you two?"

Katie grinned. "Yes, Bro, that's alright with the two of us."

"What did you want to tell me, then?" Linka asked.

The Fire Planeteer sat down, his grin fading. "Yggdrasil has just informed me about an energy source within the area around Stonehenge. Not much to be concerned about, as they've already known about this for ages. But, they did run a comparison check with our power signatures... and came up with a match."

The Wind Planeteer looked at her beloved and counterpart in surprise, sitting upright. "What?"

"The energy source is running with the same pattern as ours," Wheeler replied. "I'm taking the Geo Cruiser to check it out. You game to follow?"

"... Definitely. If we have located this, then it is likely that Smith has as well."

"Then we're leaving in about two hours. Pack accordingly."

Katie looked up. "Maybe someone else should go with you."

"And who do you suggest, Katie?"

Katie grinned.

----

"Us?" Trip asked, surprised. "Your sister suggested us?"

T-Pol blinked, the only sign of her disbelief. "Katie must realize that we can't go with you, and prepare for the invasion at the same time."

"And she's not suggesting you do that," Wheeler said. "She's saying that you should come with us, and not worry about the invasion. Personally, I agree with her. You two are the best in your respective fields, and Sakar's targeted you two as well. There may be something there that can help put you two on more of an even footing with him."

Trip looked around. "I have gotta ask this... What could we find that could possibly put us up with a spirit?"

"That is what we hope to find." Linka looked up, staring into the sky. "Peter and Wendy are our only two people, despite their experience or power. If they fail, we shall have to finish what they started." Her gaze fell upon them again. "Are you ready to be something else?"

T-Pol turned to look at Trip, who grinned a bit. A smile tugging at her own lips, she turned her attention to Wheeler. "Convincing the captain will prove to be difficult," she said, a twinkle in her eye.

Wheeler grinned. "We'll take care of that."

* * *

Hoshi finished looking over the plans, and looked up, nodding. "It looks sound, but it's going to prove to be a pain to construct," she stated. "If this is going to work, we're going to have to use every cell tower in each major city to focus the signals, and every communication satellite in orbit. _Enterprise_ will have to launch communication buoys to act as a jury rigged version of a twenty second century comm grid."

Sam nodded. "We gathered that. We extrapolated that the energy required for this would be too much for one power plant, so we're going to have to activate another Naquadah generator in Washington. Mrs. Potter's created four of them, and reinforced them in every possible way."

"They'll be enough for that." Hoshi stood up. "What about the relays?"

"General Hammond has contacted very major power in the world, and informed them of the situation. The Press Conference is scheduled for tomorrow. Hopefully, they'll all be able to link their network to ours."

"What about Master Control?"

"The Pentagon has the single most advanced military communication grid within the United States. Anderson will be working closely with us to make sure it works perfectly."

Hoshi grinned. The plan seemed sound, even though experience reminded her that not every plan went off smoothly. Hopefully, this would not be one of those times. "Well, we better get there, then. When will we land?"

"In about ten minutes. We're on final approach."

Nodding, _Enterprise's_ communications officer leaned back in her seat, relaxing. Three hours on a plane hadn't even brought a hint of nausea to her. Being on a Klingon ship helped cure her of her space sickness. And seeing as how she wasn't even in space...

Relaxing sounded very good right about now.

* * *

"Food, check... Phase Pistols, check... cold gear, check..."

Wheeler watched as Trip did the check off on their supplies, while Linka did a visual inspection of the Geo Cruiser. Archer had, with great reluctance, okayed their part in the mission, so they had scrounged up a few military MRE's, armed themselves with weapons, and basically anything they knew they would need.

Now there was only one thing left to do.

Kwame patted Wheeler on the shoulder. "I hope this is not a wild goose chase," he said. "I hope it isn't a trap," Wheeler replied. "Just make sure that Planet conserves his power until the invasion. We don't need him so weak that he can't do anything."

"We will," Laura replied, hugging Linka. "You two... good luck. I hope you find what you're searching for."

Linka smiled. "I hope so, too. Otherwise, this will all be for nothing."

"And that's only if Wendy and Peter don't stop him in Neverland."

Ma-Ti looked at Trip. "You don't think they can do it, do you?"

T-Pol shook her head. "I have to agree with Trip on this," she said. "Sakar wants to win as badly as we do. If he has to, he'll raze Neverland to the ground to get what he wants. And he won't care who is there when he does."

That was true. Everyone had to concede that. Sakar had no morals, no honor, and no sense of compassion. A true Doomsday, if there ever was one.

Wheeler chuckled, slapping Kwame on the back. "Even if we don't find out what that is, we're still in this fight. And we won't stop fighting until Sakar is dead, or we are. My family line, and everybody else who has faced him, deserve no less." He turned to the Cruiser. "If we're not back in one week, assume the worst."

Gi hugged Linka, tears in her eyes. "I don't want you to go," she whispered. "What if we never see you again? I mean, you're practically family."

Linka smiled, returning the hug. "Oh, Gi, you are a dear, sweet woman, and one of the best friends I have ever had. We will be back... I promise."

And so, the Planeteers watched as their two greatest members, and their closest friends, take the first steps of a journey that would... inevitably... allow them to return, greater than ever before.

The Potters, watching from afar, felt a swell of pride go through them as they watched the four of them head off. They knew what awaited them in Scotland.

Sakar would not survive their next encounter.

* * *

Mara stared at Belldandy in surprise. "Sakar's still alive?" she repeated. "What, he scare you too bad, _Goddess_?" She started laughing.

Belldandy grabbed her constant irritant by the throat, lifting her up out of her seat. She was still still sore from her battle with the Death Dealer, and frustrated with the search for Doctor Blight. Add in the fact that she hadn't slept wwell last night, and you had the makings of a very grumpy woman. "You have no idea," she hissed, bringing Mara closer, "how pissed off I really am. And unless you have a death wish, you don't want to find out. Understand?"

Neptune shrugged gamely, leaning against the bar. "If I were you, I would tell us where we can find Duke Nukem. Otherwise, you're not going to be having a good day."

The two women had managed to locate Mara in a demon bar, just on the outskirts of Hiroshima. Upon entering, they had scared the local demon populace into submission, before locating their wayward demon. Upon their locating her, they managed to acquire information pertaining to several Eco terrorists... except for the big, radioactive guy.

So Belldandy 'asked' sweetly.

Mara looked around, before nodding. "Alright, I'll tell you," she shouted. "He's at the Chernobyl Power Planet. Are you happy?"

Belldandy nodded, smacking herself. The Chernobyl sight was still crawling with radioactive isotopes. If Blight had given him the ability to siphon it right out of the ground, he would have a power source to keep him energized for years to come. He would achieve immortality for as long as he had something to keep him going.

Setting Mara down, she straightened out the demon's robes. "Thank you. Enjoy your drink." She started out, the Sailor Scout right behind her. "Lily, he's at Chernobyl."

_"Thank you, Belldandy,"_ Sloane replied. _"Qui Gon and I are on our way."_

* * *

Qui Gon waited until Sloane had put her communicator away, before saying, "I don't think I need to tell you that we alone, may not be enough to stop a walking nuclear warhead."

Sloane grinned. "Are you kidding?" she asked. "James used to throw him around like he was nothing. The two of us are more than enough." Her gaze hardened. "I still can't believe that they were in league with Sakar all this time."

The Jedi nodded, understanding. He had been somewhat surprised that Dooku had become a Sith. He, who had sat on the Council for twenty five years of his life.

But, then again, nothing was certain anymore.

_----_

_"Lily, I feel I need to tell you something about the Eco Terrorists Duke Nukem and Bleak," Potter said. "I only recently learned of this myself."_

_Sloane turned to the Guardian. "What about them?" she asked._

_"They... they're working for Sakar. Have been for years."_

_"... All of this time."_

_"I'm sorry. They are no longer terrorists. They are enemies of the planet, and everyone on it. They have to be stopped... and without hesitation..."_

----

Sloane shook herself out of her thoughts, focusing instead on their next line of business. "Well, hold on, Master Qui Gon. I'm about to create the world's most powerful wind taxi." Grabbing his hand, she focused all of her power, and released it.

Instantly, the two of them were launched into the sky at roughly the speed of sound. A sonic boom erupted from their departure, disturbing everything within a ten mile radius.

And then... silence.

* * *

Anderson looked up as Hoshi and Sam entered communications, smiling. "Captain Carter, welcome back to Washington," he said. "And Ensign Sato, welcome to the Pentagon."

Hoshi looked around. "You know, I used to wonder what it was really like in this time during a crisis, without starships and all that. Now I know." She smiled. "You guys were the true miracle workers. You were able to pull off the impossible every time."

Anderson smiled. "Be All That You Can Be. That's the Army's motto, and a true one at that." He turned. "We have an idea about how to interface your communication buoys with our satellite system."

Sam nodded. "Hopefully, we can do it within a week."

Hoshi looked around, taking in all of the systems. "Well, give me a crash course on your setup, and we'll see if its compatible. Otherwise, we'll think of something else."

Anderson nodded, having had the same thought. "Then come this way, ma'am. We'll get you used to bearskin and knives in no time."

"I'm still using a radio most of the time. Subspace communication is still an iffy business. We just have a stronger transmitter onboard."

"Oh."

* * *

Blight observed the Geo Cruiser as it entered final approach of its objective, grinning wickedly. "So, they're almost there. I expected as much." She turned in her chair, watching the other screens, where the rest of the allies forces were going about their business. She grimaced as she saw Ma-Ti and Laura heading for a private area for some quiet time. In her opinion, they should just go back to Ma-Ti's room, and stay there. _'Of course, I'm not them,'_ she thought. _'If I wanna see love patter, I'll rent a movie.'_

Her attention focused on Stargate Command, one of the most active areas of the places. She saw the general and the remainder of his senior staff in the main research facility, beginning their largest project ever; a full scale defense of a planet. She shifted her attention to the Pentagon, watching the _Enterprise's_ communications officer and Captains Carter and Anderson struggle to develop a communication system unlike any in this day and age. She had to admire them for that, even if she didn't think they could pull it off.

She was somewhat surprised to see the Earth and Water Planeteers hook up. Surprised in a rather subtle way, of course. If there was one thing she wasn't, it was a racist. Everybody was equal in her eyes... especially if she was using them for an experiment.

Gaia and Zarm were deep in conversation with Clash and Athena, trying to develop a plan that would stop the Death Dealer, if Sloane and Ivanova failed. She simply shook her head. Nothing can stop Sakar. Nothing.

She should know... she had watched as he cut a path of destruction on Earth for about twenty years. She had joined forces with him after James was killed, ready to help him in his war against Gaia.

And so, she had continued her experiments, gauging the new team that had been put together, instantly realizing that the bloodline continued when Wheeler became instrumental in stopping several of her more ambitious schemes.

But he had no idea that she had been responsible for the mob that had almost destroyed the recycling plant. Had she not been there to do that, then they would have discovered that the mine was to blame all by themselves. They would have listened to Linka. Part of her experiment to determine if people could listen to common sense, or could be swayed by their emotions. To her everlasting delight, they fell into the later category. She had even caused the cart to slide down the street, almost killing the Wind Planeteer.

But Sloane had stayed behind, and had saved her.

Blight leaned back, before turning to MAL. "How is the virus?"

MAL smiled. "It has been completely formed, and ready. We just need an opening to use it."

The Eco Terrorist nodded, her grin growing even more malevolent. "The Planeteers will pay for all of the misery they've caused me. Patience is the key, though. Let them prepare, get everything set up. Then, when they think they can stand against the army, we strike." She turned. "Computer, give me an estimate of the perfect time to strike."

Another voice, a computer system separate from her electronic assistant, replied, **"Approximately three days, at oh twelve hundred... barring any delays, or unexpected surprises."**

Blight's grin was so wide, it had become malicious to the extreme. "Good. At noon, then, we launch the beginning of the end!"

Her laughter echoed throughout the base, shielded from every known sensor on the planet, and above it... right in the center of Hope Island.

Where no one could find her.

* * *

Qui Gon looked at the derelict remains of what had once been a Soviet nuclear power plant. "It's hard to believe that this world developed nuclear power, but the not the safeguards needed to contain it properly."

Sloane turned to him in irritation. "Sorry, but when it was first developed, it was designed as a weapon. The U.S. used it at the very end of World War II. And unfortunately, the greatest inventions, the greatest hopes for peace, are developed in the midst of war."

The venerable Jedi Knight nodded, reluctantly agreeing with that assessment. The best developments always came at the expense of lives. A sad fact he knew only too well.

Stretching out, he let the Force flow through him, changing his perception of reality. Through this new perspective, he could see the sheer elemental power of Lilith Sloane rotating within her. He could the radiation that practically saturated the ground beneath them.

And he could see the power of Nukem within the building. It was growing steadily.

Sloane sensed the same thing, apparently. "We don't have much time. It looks like he's standing in the center of the old power generators. Once he's absorbed all of the energy there, he'll become a walking nuclear power plant."

Qui Gon nodded, pulling his lightsaber off of his belt. "Any idea as to how we take him down?" he asked.

"...Well, first we have to get him away from there... and I have just the thing to do that."

* * *

"So, why us?" Trip asked.

"The phrase 'explorers' has been used to refer to you guys, _da_?" Linka asked.

"Well, yeah."

"And this is the chance of a lifetime to explore something you've never seen before," Wheeler added, going through the final stages of landing.

T-Pol sighed. "What, exactly, are we going to be exploring?" she asked.

The two Planeteers looked at each other. "A big old cave, probably," Linka replied. "And... into the deepest parts of your souls, most likely."

Trip blinked. Spiritual stuff was never his cup of tea. "We're goin' on a spiritual retreat?"

Wheeler shook his head. "We're looking for something very physical... very real. The spiritual part will help us determine whether or not we're ready to harness it."

"Not to mention the possibility that there may be technical challenges for you," Linka added, grinning.

"Yeah, Trip," T-Pol mimicked, starting to smile herself. "And you'll get to learn to be more logical along the way."

"Gee, thanks." Trip looked out the window.

He almost shot out of his seat. "What the hell is that?"

Beneath them lay Stonehenge... but within the center of it lay a powerful vortex of energy. It was fluxing, a bright kaleidoscope of colors. What made it fascinating was the fact that they all knew it hadn't been visible before.

"Well, I'd say that is where we have to go," Wheeler stated casually.

"I think you're right," Trip replied.

* * *

Hoshi leaned back, blinking a bit. "I haven't looked at a screen for so long in my life!" she groaned. "And my stomach growling isn't helping any."

Anderson looked up, eyeing his watch. "No wonder. It's twelve hundred hours. We missed lunch." He got up. "How about we get some food, and some fresh air. I know this quaint little restaurant near here."

Hoshi smiled. "I'd like that."

About ten minutes later, the two of them were eating outside, enjoying the relatively warm temperatures. The restaurant waiter instantly recognized Anderson, and brought them their lunch within ten minutes. Anderson explained that he ate there about every day.

"So, tell me," Hoshi started, leaning forward, "how is it that you became interested in space aliens and the like? It can't be because of this _Star Trek_ I keep hearing about."

Anderson grinned. "Actually, I was reading Science Fiction magazines in the nineteen seventies, and watched _Star Wars_ about twenty times."

"The Trilogy are my favorite movies. I liked Luke Skywalker."

"I liked Chewbacca. Now that I think about it, he reminds me of Teal'c. I started watching _Star Trek _as seeing the second movie."

Hoshi started laughing. "You're going to have to let me watch these movies for myself," she said. "I have no idea what's going on."

The Army Captain grinned, sipping his drink. "Then how about dinner tonight?" he suggested. "You can watch them then. I'll let you borrow them, in fact."

Hoshi couldn't stop smiling. "Alright, on both accounts. It'll make for a few good movie nights onboard the _Enterprise_."

* * *

Neptune quickly ducked behind a crate as a hail of bullets flew overhead, slamming into the far wall. "This was your worst idea ever!" she shouted. "Unlike you, I'm not bullet proof!"

Belldandy looked at her as she fired a steady burst of air at Bleak, who was steadily backing up towards an exit. "Just get ready to attack, okay? I'll be your shield." She shook her head. "Who in their right mind creates a power source, and not give you immunity to projectiles?"

"A Neptune deity with a grudge against me!" Neptune moved again, this time getting right behind the Goddess. "Just keep him busy so I don't get hit!"

Belldandy nodded, and shifted gears, muttering an incantation under her breath. Instantly, a fog began rolling into the room.

Bleak took that opportunity to pull a grenade off of his belt, and pulling the pin. Tossing it, he bolted for the door.

The grenade hit a set of oil barrels, settling for a moment... before detonating. Belldandy hastily erected a barrier around her and the Water Senshi, protecting them from the resultant fireball and shockwave. "This guy doesn't know when to quit!" she snarled.

"He doesn't have any reason to!" Neptune retorted. "We're after him! _Neptune Deep Submerge!_"

The water sphere hit the heart of the explosion, putting it out instantly. The water spread outward, dousing the flames as it touched them. Without waiting, the two females gave pursuit.

They burst out of the building... just in time to see Bleak's vehicle turning the curb. Belldandy quickly grabbed Neptune's hand, and took off after him. They were not going to let him get away. Not this time!

* * *

"I can sense the slight weakening of the radioactivity in the ground," Qui Gon whispered. "It appears he's doing some good, after all."

"Except if he fires on us, anything he hits will melt, and the ground gets all those particles back," Sloane replied darkly. We'll need to get him out of the building, which is not an easy thing to do. all things considering. Nuke's not one to leave a source of nuclear wasteland easily." Her attention turned to see Qui Gon suddenly look at something no one else could see. "What?"

The Jedi didn't answer verbally, instead grabbing her sleeve, and jumping upward... just as an energy blast struck the spot they had been occupying a few seconds before. The strength of his Force jump brought them up to a catwalk. "Thank God Doctor Phlox inoculated us both for radiation exposure," he said.

Sloane nodded. "I think it's entirely possible he's right underneath us!" This time, she jumped, her grip on him unyielding.

And just in time too, as the catwalk suddenly disintegrated by a blinding blue flash. They landed, weapons out.

"I thought you'd never get here, Lilith," Nukem stated, grinning, power collecting in his hands. "What say we see how strong you are today?"

With that, he lashed out again, snarling tendrils of power reaching out for them.

* * *

"Yes!" Katie crowed. "I told you Michael could kick your butt, Kwame!"

What Katie as referring to was the foozeball game they had been playing. Katie had oh so innocently said that Michael, who had never played the game before, could learn, and defeat, just about anyone. So Kwame challenged him to a game. After a few rough starts, chief among them elevating the youngest Darling so he could reach the handles. Afterwards, though, and as he got used to the controls, he proceeded to lay waste to the Earth Planeteer.

Gi giggled at the silly look on Kwame's face, and patted his shoulder affectionately. "Don't worry, dear," she said. "You're still the Foozeball champion, as far as I'm confused."

Kwame grinned. "It's more on the lines that I let Katie suck me into this."  
Katie grinned. "Well, you're a guy. You've always got something to prove." She turned around. "Michael, what say that you go and tell everyone of your great victory over the champ?"

Michael started laughing. "I want to tell Cassie, too."

"Sure, trample what remains of my pride, why don't you?"

"He's a kid. Anytime he beats someone twice as old as him, he's bound to want people to know it." Katie's eyes lit up. "I'll tell Wheeler when he gets back." She and Michael left the game room, talking animatedly.

Gi leaned in. "I can always help you reclaim your pride," she whispered sultrily. "After all, there are other ways to be on top of the world."

Kwame grinned. "Let us retire to one of our bedrooms, then. I am sure we can..."

"Sorry to interrupt you two, but you're needed in the Crystal Chamber."

Gi sighed. "We're on our way, Gaia." She shrugged. "I hope we get a chance to... do something about your pride."

Kwame shook his head, grinning as he walked out of the room. He loved Gi. She was always more fun than what she seemed.

* * *

The four adventurers slid out of the Geo Cruiser, locking it up immediately. They weren't going to lose their only mode of transportation after all of this.

Trip looked at Stonehenge for a minute, observing the fluctuations occurring within it. "Ya know, Ah don't think that's supposed to be like that," he said.

"_Da_, I will go with that." Linka smirked. "That is why that is our destination. T-Pol?"

T-Pol blinked, her scanner running over time. "According to my scanner, there's nothing there. Nothing at all. "I'm picking up grass, dirt, a few stone here and there. But there's no radiation to speak of." She switched to another frequency. "I'm not picking up anything on the power aspect, either. Whatever this is, it's not a power ratio that can analyzed."

Wheeler held up his ring, which was glowing red. "Well, I can sense it." His gaze sharpened. "It's a mystical force."

"Magic?"

"Magic."

T-Pol put the device away. "That explains it, then. Do we go in, or wait and see what happens?"

Wheeler frowned. "I have no idea." In a split second, that frown left. "We step in," he said.

"A true Wheeler plan," Linka noted dryly. "What happens if that is the wrong choice?"

"Well, as Harry himself once said, then this is our big chance to get away from it all. Come on."

Trip caught T-Pol looking at her, and grinned. "I say we do what he says. What could happen to us that Sakar can't do a hundred times worse?"

The vulcan smiled. "I have to admit, it's logical, in a sort of simplistic way."

"Be careful, or you'll start saying Yankee and Capitalist Dog like Linka here." Wheeler's grinning face turned to Linka. "I like them, by the way."

All four of them started laughing as they entered the vortex, disappearing into a world unknown to any of them.

They had past the first test.

* * *

The energy blast from Nukem flew towards the two warriors... only to slam into a powerful barrier. At the last moment, so he couldn't increase the power of the blast, Sloane used her powers to erect a powerful shield around herself and Qui Gon.

The second the shield dropped, she launched a powerful wind blast at the walking nuclear pile.

Nukem merely punched the attack, dissipating it easily. "What's wrong, Lily?" he sneered. "Are you out of-?"

The rest of his sentence was lost to the explosive right hook that caught him in the jaw. It felt like he had been hit with a metal glove.

Sloane kicked him away, mentally cursing herself. If it had been eleven years ago, she would have already blasted him through the wall. She was out of practice, and Nukem was a great deal stronger than before.

Fortunately, she was getting back into the groove... quickly. And she wasn't alone this time.

The Jedi took that moment to push him further away, his lightsaber activating with its distinctive _snap-hiss_. The green blade glowed with a power equal to Nukem's hands and Sloane's ring.

With a battle cry, Nukem fired a full energy blast at them. Sloane met it head on with a blast of her own, while Qui Gon flew in, blade flying through the air...

... only to meet the electrical pulses of an Agent blade. Nukem had pulled it out, and blocked the Jedi easily. His fist slammed into Qui Gon's sternum, smashing him back to the far side of the room.

'And if that isn't an indication that he's working for Sakar, I don't know what is,' the Wind Planeteer thought, her lance forming in her hands. With a battle cry worthy of a Klingon, she charged forward to do battle with Duke Nukem.

A lone protector of the environment against a breathing nuclear reactor.

Qui Gon slowly got up, shaking his head to clear the cobwebs. His chest burned with the fist he took, telling him that he had been burned. Looking down, he saw blisters forming on his skin. A Jedi Healing trance could take care of that easily, but he couldn't afford to enter one yet. He could hear the sounds of battle, and knew he was needed there. His lightsaber reactivated, and he charged forward, ignoring the pain from his chest.

Sloane was now fully in her element, meeting Nukem blow for blow. A thousand years of experience came to the fore, making her equal to her nemesis. If the two of them kept this up, they would be doing this forever.

Fortunately, Sloane had an advantage. She didn't come alone.

Qui Gon rocketed back into the battle, his blade straight out like a spear. When Nukem moved to deal with the potentially lethal attack, Sloane moved. A fist slammed into Nukem's gut, doubling him over. Another punch, this one an uppercut, sent him skyward.

The Jedi Master quickly used the Force to keep him up there. "This has gone on long enough, Mister Nukem. We need answers from you, and we need them..."  
"Sorry, but I have a better idea. How about I... leave?" With that parting word, Nukem vanished in a blinding flash of light. A flash of light that was growing rapidly.

Sloane barely managed to get the two of them out of the building before it vanished in that light. They were past the fence, the light just missing them by a centimeter. The light vanished in a moment.

Qui Gon blinked, the Force telling him one thing. "He... somehow managed to transport all of the radiation in the ground, as well as the building itself, out of there."

Sloane cursed. "He's learned a few new tricks... no doubt from Sakar or Blight," she replied. "He's remained ahead of the game. And we have to find him again."

Qui Gon nodded. "Before we do that, I'm going to meditate. I prefer to face him at full strength." Kneeling, he began to focus the Force inward...

* * *

Anderson opened the door to his house, gesturing Hoshi to go in. "It's not much," he said, "but it's home. Feel free to look around, while I get dinner out of the oven." He smiled at her confused expression. "I usually make it in the morning, then heat it up when I get home. I usually make enough for the week."

"So you don't have to worry about cooking," Hoshi guessed.

Anderson grinned sheepishly. "That's usually it. I live alone, so it's no problem." He went into the kitchen, pulling his uniform jacket off in the process.

Hoshi started looking around, taking in her surroundings. Despite the size of Anderson's living room, which was average size, the way it was designed made it seem bigger. There was a fireplace in one corner, with a television near another wall. There the usual refinements; pictures, end tables, among other things. A very nice place.

Hoshi had to admit that it would be nice if she had a place like this on Earth that she could go home to. _Enterprise _was the only home she had for two and a half years, and her quarters weren't exactly large. She had been in studio apartments in the Twenty Second century that had been bigger.

A hand lightly touched her shoulder, jerking her out of her reverie. She turned around to see Anderson standing there, smiling slightly. "Dinner's ready," he said.

Hoshi smiled, making for the table.

* * *

Smith observed the massive holographic sphere before him, noting the movements of two Agents.

Bleak, in the African sector, being pursued by Belldandy and Sailor Neptune.

And Nukem, heading for New York.

Doctor Blight, despite her allegiance to the Death Dealer, was not an Agent. In fact, according Sakar himself, she was much worse. For she alone dared to take a spirit's power, and life, and use it as her own.

And it had left a lasting impression on her. She had become… perfect. The perfect foil for Sakar. And an alliance between two evils was forged.

Now Blight stood on the cusp of acquiring powers equal to the Death Dealer, and still wished to maintain that alliance, so great was her hatred for the Planeteers. The imminent Sunak invasion only worked in her favor. _"If Sakar is unable to take Mud Momma's and Zarm's powers, then the Sunak'll destroy them both. Either way, we win."_ And Sakar knew she was right. It didn't matter. One way or another, they would win.

And then the true conquest would begin.

* * *

Here is Chapter Twenty Two of Armageddon. There will be more of the chase of Bleak, and Hoshi… well, read there to find out. Of course, Wheeler and Linka are definitely going to remain in the forefront of all this.

I'm going to be focusing on this more from here on out. I figure the sooner I finish this, the sooner I'll be able to focus completely on the other two stories. That way, they'll all get onto the net faster. Please review.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

Bleak pushed his foot down on the accelerator, setting his spent automatic on the seat next to him. _'This wasn't how I wanted my day to go!'_ he thought, what with the inevitable invasion and all. He certainly hadn't expected a Goddess and a Sailor Scout to come in, ready for war.

And, to top it off, they knew he was working for Sakar... which meant taking prisoners was no longer an option.

Time to cover his tracks. Time to take the steps he laid out when he first joined the Agents.

Wheeling a sharp right, cutting past a semi with mere inches to spare, the bald monster drove towards his hide out, preparing for the final confrontation.

* * *

Belldandy frowned as bit at Bleak's reckless driving. _'You would think that the devil himself was chasing him,'_ she thought. Of course, a First Class Goddess and the Senshi of Neptune chasing him down ranked as a close second.

Neptune covered her eyes, trying to maintain the moisture in her eyes. "Where is he going?" she asked. "He must know we'll follow him to the ends of the Earth!"

"Of course he does! Escape isn't his plan!" Belldandy blasted her way through a strong wind like it was toilet paper. "He's heading for a spot that's to his advantage!"

"Well, he's doing a good job of it! Wherever he's going, he'll reach it before we reach him!"

Bleak had proven to be a most annoying rodent. Every time they came close to catching up with him, he let loose with a round of bullets. Belldandy was forced to slow down enough to create a protective shield. When she did that, he throttled onward, scraping past other cars by the barest of margins. He clearly had no fear for himself, and no concern for those on the road.

Neptune was worried about what that meant when they went head to toe with an entire army of agents.

Even as she thought this very disturbing thought, Bleak finally pulled up into an abandoned structure, jumping out immediately and running inside. The old, rusty door banged a couple of times, before settling.

Belldandy set the Water Senshi down, before landing, her gaze on the door. "I wonder why he came here," she said quietly.

Neptune shrugged. "no clue. It's probably an old warehouse that no one uses anymore. Didn't many of the Eco Terrorists live in run down facilities?"

"Bleak was Lootin Plunder's right hand man, and a successful businessman in his own right. If he's as intelligent as his former boss, then he'll have a back up plan."

"Right. Belldandy... let's make a pact, right here, right now. We both get out of here alive."

Belldandy nodded. "Great pact. Let's go get us an Agent."

* * *

Dinner had been incredible. Anderson had found some sparkling grape juice, and cracked it open. He then explained that he usually made enough for the whole week.

"So, I guess you don't like to cook," Hoshi commented afterwards. The two of them were reclining on the sofa, watching a small fire crackle merrily in the hearth.

"Pretty much." Anderson leaned back, chuckling. "If I could get away with eating takeout every day, I would be happy."

Hoshi giggled. "Well, I used to be quite the cook when I was in the Academy. The other cadets suggested that I open a restaurant."

"Well, I'm sure Captain Archer's glad you didn't do that."

"So am I. I'm a better Communications Officer than a chef. And I'd rather decipher an unknown alien language than stand in front of a stove." Hoshi leaned forward to set her glass on the table, and suddenly let out a hiss of pain.

Anderson turned his head slightly. "Your back?" he asked.

Hoshi nodded, massaging a muscle slightly. "I must have pulled something when we moved the sofa, or something just seized up after sitting in a chair all day." She smiled apologetically. "I haven't moved anything without the help of an anti-gravity unit for so long, and that was my first sleeper sofa."

Anderson nodded, not surprised. "I suppose that would do it." An idea came to him. "I could give you a back rub."

"... I can't stay. I'm sure Captain Archer wants me back on the ship..."

"I could make it an order."

"I'm not in the army, if you'll recall," Hoshi replied, hearing the teasing in the man's voice. "You technically have no authority over me." She frowned. "Let me check in, at least."

Anderson grinned. "Of course." He got up, collecting the grape juice before heading towards the kitchen.

Hoshi appreciated the gesture as she opened her communicator. "Hoshi to _Enterprise._"

_"Archer here."_

"Captain, I don't think I'm going to be returning to the ship tonight," Hoshi stated. "I wanted to check in to tell you that we've gotten the majority of the grid ready. We should be ready to perform a low power test by tomorrow evening."

_"Good work, Hoshi."_ There was a pause. _"Listen, I want you to take some time off. You've been working harder than the rest of us."_

"Captain..."

_"I've already talked to Captain Carter about it. She knows everything you do, and she's more familiar with the radio equipment. You don't have to come in until noon. Do I need to make it an order, or sic the Doctor on you?"_

Hoshi heard the joking in her Captain's voice, a large smile breaking out. "So as not to incur the wrath of the doctor, I will take tomorrow morning off. Thank you, Captain."

_"Good night, Hoshi. _Enterprise _out."_

Hoshi shut her communicator, turning towards the door, where Anderson was standing. "I think I'll take you up on your massage," she said.

Anderson grinned. "Well, this place only has one bedroom, so if you'll follow me..."

* * *

"There has got to be an easier way for one to get around without hurricane gust winds slapping you in the face!" Qui Gon shouted, clinging onto Sloane's arm for support.

Sloane grinned. "Hurricane gusts? I only feel a slight breeze!" she replied. "And besides, I thought the Jedi were capable of doing incredible things!"  
"Only within limit! What you're doing is out of even Master Yoda's ability!"

"Well, don't worry! We're beginning our landing… now!"  
Gently, without even the slightest hint that they had been traveling at over fifty times the speed of sound, the two warriors touchdown, not even causing a disturbance of dust. Their target; yet another condemned building.

Qui Gon stretched his sense out as far as they could go, and retracted them just as quickly. "He's absorbed a great deal more power since last time. Is there a limit to how much he can take?"

Sloane shook her head. "As he absorbs energy, he usually grows in size. The fact he hasn't done that means he's conquered that weakness. It may also mean that he has no limit." Her gaze widened. "If he manages to absorb all of the nuclear energy, and his body doesn't grow any…"

The Jedi nodded. "He'll become self sustaining," he replied, "or as close to it as one can be."

"So he has to be stopped soon, now in fact… or he'll become a threat to both Gaia _and_ Zarm."

Neither one of them wanted to think what would happen if that occurred. Earth would be forfeit, before the Sunak even started their march.

Qui Gon activated his lightsaber again, the Force clearing him of all doubt, any thoughts of What Might Be, and focused him on the Here and Now. Nothing else mattered, except doing what was right.

Now calm and collected, he turned to Sloane. "Let's do this."

* * *

Kwame and Gi stared at Gaia in shock. "What?" the Earth Planeteer got out.

Gaia nodded, her eyes closed. "I did a full scan of the planet, searching for those who can wield the full power of Earth and Water. I wasn't able to. But then I did a scan of the island, thinking they were already here." She looked at them. "The only signatures that are capable of wielding those rings... are you two."

Gi stepped back, sinking into a chair. "The two of us... can use those powers?" she asked weakly.

"Yes."

"... Why us? Ma-Ti isn't one of them. The other ring went to Laura. Why us?"

The Spirit of Earth shrugged. "I don't know, Gaia. I think it may be because you two are almost as passionate in protecting the environment as Wheeler and Linka. For all we know, it's because you were always supposed to"

Kwame frowned. "You think that this is destiny?" he asked. "Because I do not believe in that."

"Neither do I," Gi asserted, getting up. "I don't believe that we don't have a choice in our lives. That everything we do is preordained."

Gaia smiled. "I don't believe that everything you do is set in stone... just the major points. How you get there is up to you."

"Gee, thanks, Gaia. That certainly helps." The Water Planeteer made for the door. "I'm going for a walk. Let me know when the invasion starts."

Kwame looked at Gaia, then at Gi. "Do you...?"

"I just need some time alone, Kwame. I need to think about this."

The Earth Planeteer sighed, watching as his girlfriend walked out of the Crystal Chamber, before turning to Gaia. "Do you really think that we can do this?" he asked. "Do you really think we can wield the final rings?"

Gaia nodded. "That, I can tell you with absolute certainty... yes. I do believe that you can."

The Earth Planeteer nodded. "I wish I had your confidence."

"I wish I had your faith."

Belldandy and Neptune exploded through the door, rolling immediately as a shower of energy bolts flew overhead.

Bleak didn't stop. Locked within his control center, he activated a series of micro missile launchers. "Take this, you bleeding blokes!" he snarled triumphantly.

Belldandy quickly dodged, sensing that those missiles could do a great deal of damage. "He doesn't waste time, does he?" she asked over the din of explosions.

"Not really!" Neptune looked up as another wave of projectiles came at them. "_Neptune Deep Submerge!_" she shouted.

The water sphere that was thrown was nowhere near as impressive as her usual attack, but it was sufficient enough to destroy the immediate danger. She quickly leaped as sharp spikes suddenly exploded out of the floor, missing her feet by an inch. "He's transformed this place into the Temple of Doom!"  
Indeed, the entire area was a veritable building a death, designed for one reason and one reason only; To destroy the enemy, or leave them for dead.

And it was pretty well constructed. The two women were dodging and blasting various projectiles that came at them. They weren't making any forward progress, and were just giving Bleak a chance to escape.

"That does it!" Belldandy called forth her angel. "I'm taking it all out now! Get down!"  
Neptune immediately dropped. She had never seen Belldandy use her angel before, but she also knew not to tempt fate. If a Goddess told you to duck, you obeyed without hesitation.

And she was proven right, as an extremely powerful sphere of energy suddenly erupted out from both beings, filling the entire place with power. She could hear a number of mechanical instruments short circuiting. She could smell the ozone from the electrical currents.

Belldandy forced the energy to dissipate, her angel vanishing as well. "You're all out of tricks, Bleak!" she shouted. "If we don't stop you, someone else will!"

There was no response.

Neptune felt Belldandy's gaze on her. She nodded. "He's still here, and alive," she said, assuring her. "What he's waiting for is beyond me."

The Goddess nodded in understanding. She was having the same thought... unless...

Not everything was destroyed from that pulse she unleashed.

The sound of metallic feet clanging against the floor caught her attention, and she readied herself. "Something tells me he's better prepared than even thought."

Neptune grinned, water collecting. "Then let's see if it's waterproof," she replied.

* * *

Anderson looked around, making sure that everything was in place. He had told Hoshi to take a bath while he got everything set up. He had even made his bed, which was a feat in itself. He was rarely in his room when he was home, falling asleep on the couch watching TV.

But the couch wasn't good for giving a back massage.

The door creaked opened, allowing Hoshi to enter the bedroom, wrapped in a towel. Her hair was brushed, going down her back. "I take it you don't do this often," she said quietly.

Anderson looked up a bit, eyes locking onto her for a second. To say he liked the image before him would have been an understatement. "I've never really done this before," he replied, showing superior military control by looking away, and keeping his voice level. "Now, if you would lie down, we'll get on with the massage."

Hoshi rolled her eyes in amusement at the command, before laying down. "Do you want me to sit up and beg, too?" she quipped, smiling. "Because I don't do tricks."

"Actually, all you need to do is pull your towel around your waist, and that'll be it." He waited until she did so, folding the towel around her waist, before nodding to himself. "Tell me if, at any point, this becomes uncomfortable. I'll stop immediately."

Hoshi nodded, putting her head down on the pillow, eyes closed.

Anderson moved Hoshi's hair out of the way, and took a breath. '_Here we go,'_ he thought. He brought his hands up, placing them on her shoulders. He began to dig into the muscles, working the tension out of them. Slowly, the muscles relaxed under his ministrations, earning him a moan from her. Emboldened, he moved down her back, trying to maintain a professional air around him. It wasn't every day he had a beautiful, naked woman in his bed, and he wasn't sure what to do in situation like this. He knew what his hormones wanted, but he wasn't going to do that. Instead, he kept doing what he focused on her back.

Hoshi smiled slightly as Anderson slowly moved down her body, enjoying this immensely. He was gentle but firm, relaxing her muscles as much as her mind. She could also feel something else happening, something she hadn't felt since Risa. It was slightly frightening.

Anderson focused on the massage, seeing how much more relaxed Hoshi had become. He pushed into her lower back, retching a moan out of her. "How is it?" he asked, after clearing his throat.

Hoshi opened her eyes, looking up at him. "Very relaxing," she murmured. "Are you sure you've never given a massage before?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"Well, I think you deserve a reward." Hoshi sat up, pulling the towel back up. "I could make something tomorrow, but we won't have a great deal of time."

Anderson chuckled, sitting down on the bed. "Probably not."

"Well... then how about this?" Hoshi leaned forward, placing her lips on his.

The kiss was sweet, full of promise and hope. It was a feeling that neither had ever felt.

Anderson broke away, fighting his feelings down. "Hoshi, I don't think..."

"How about I put it in the form of an order, sir?" Hoshi leaned in again, until her lips were brushing against his ever so slightly. "Shut up and kiss me, Anderson."

Anderson did so, gladly. The towel dropped away from Hoshi's body, revealing her in all of her glory to him. He ran her hands through her hair, enjoying the feel of silk between his fingertips.

Hoshi was also busy, unbuttoning his shirt, pulling it out of the waistband of his pants and pulling it off. She explored the contours of his chest, impressed by the feeling of muscle's clenching beneath her fingertips. "Very impressive," she murmured.

Anderson didn't respond save for smiling, before going down, taking a little dark red nipple into his mouth. He suckled on it carefully, delighting in her moans of pleasure. He slipped his hand down her body to the juncture of her legs, where he brushed her once.

Hoshi arched, eyes glittering. "Do you... do you have any protection?" she asked.

Anderson nodded. "Yeah," he replied hoarsely. "Always be prepared is a motto I follow strenuously." He quickly went over to the dresser, opening the top drawer. Fishing about, he pulled out a little foil packet, tearing it open. Quickly shucking the rest of his clothes, returned to the bed.

Hoshi grinned. "Very nice," she said, tossing the towel away. "Allow me." Taking the condom from him, she sheathed him slowly, stroking him as she did so, grinning mischievously at his groan. She laid back on the bed, leg's spread in invitation.

Anderson quickly accepted the invitation, climbing onto the bed and in between her legs, his arousal rubbing against her entrance. He slid into her slowly, waiting for any sign of discomfort. Seeing none, he kept going, until he was in her fully.

Hoshi gripped his arms as her legs wrapped around his waist, trapping him effectively. She arched as he began to move in her, setting a pattern as he went to her neck, locating her pulse, and sucking on the skin over it.

Hoshi let out a little cry as he began to go faster, the pressure within her beginning to build. She started to rock with his movements, reclaiming his mouth as she did so. Her hands climbed up to his back, scratching his back as she approached the brink.

The Army Captain thrust one last time, his world exploding into a thousand shards. Hoshi had something similar happen with her, feeling like she was flying through the air, and would never come down.

Anderson finally collapse onto Hoshi, breathing hard, the last slivers of ecstasy flitting through his system. He shuddered as Hoshi held him close, tracing his back muscles with her hands.

* * *

Belldandy slammed into the outer edge of the building, stunned. Of all of the things she been prepared for, the thing they were facing against wasn't it.

The monster in question, a Level Eight dragon life form known only as the Crusher, bellowed in primal fury, its massive form moving quickly towards her. It had the power to crush a God or Demon with ease, and it was going to do so with her.

Or, it would have, had Sailor Neptune suddenly slammed into it, knocking it off course. Her fist slammed into the side of its head, trying to cause as much damage as possible. Alas, she wasn't strong enough, as the dragon suddenly swung its head back at her, swatting the Senshi away from it. She careened out of sight, hitting a pool of water in the process.

Belldandy couldn't remove the earring that contained the majority of her power, but that didn't mean that she didn't possess a large amount of power already. She brought her staff to her, and summoned her angel. _'There,'_ she thought, _'that's every ounce of my power I dare call. Now let's see what Bleak's dragon is capable of.'_ With that, she flew into the air, launching a full energy attack at the beast.

The Dragon staggered back as the blast struck it, wincing a bit in pain. There was a small crack in its skin, but not enough to capitalize. It did, however, return the favor, releasing an attack of its own at her. She quickly dodged, watching as it punched a hole through the wall.

Her split second distraction proved her undoing, as the dragon slammed into her with the force of a hundred bulls. She hit the ground, her angel vanishing almost immediately. The Dragon came in, ready to finish the job.

_"Neptune Deep Submerge!"_

In all of the excitement, she had forgotten to check on Neptune. Not that she needed to.

The pool of water had been the Water Senshi's salvation. She had recently discovered that she could manipulate her attack, making it as wide or as narrow as she wished.

Now she ordered it as narrow as humanly possible, aiming the entire package directly at the crack in the monster's armor. With those thoughts in place, she acted.

Her aim was true. The stream of water slammed into the injury with the force of one of _Enterprise's_ main phaser cannons, shattering the skin completely. It permeated its entire body quickly, cooling its temperature down rapidly.

Belldandy leaped up, bringing the point of her staff down into the hole after the attack faded, and focused all of her power through the staff, into the dragon's body. As it was filled with water, so now was it filled with energy.

The dragon, for the first time its history, was defeated in battle, as its body was practically vaporized, becoming fine powder.

Belldandy landed, staggering slightly. "Well, that was different," she said.

"But we won," Neptune replied, grinning. "That's all that matters." Her gaze sharpened. "Oh, Bleak! We're still coming!"

The two females took off like lights, heading for the back of the building, battered, but unbowed.

* * *

Gi walked along the beach, making sure to stay away from the refugees. She needed some time alone, and the last thing she needed was people talking to her.

After the revelation of Wheeler's destiny, and everything else that happened, she had been under the impression that there were no other surprises in store for them. Oh, how wrong she was.

Coming to a stop near the jungle border, the Water Planeteer finally sat down, watching the water break gently against the shore. This was her element, one of the few things that she found soothing. Now was no exception. Once she had calmed down, she would be able to think about it.

This was how Kwame found her an hour later, watching the waves, almost unblinking. Without saying a word, he sat down next to her, pulling her close. She didn't stop him, only grabbed the front of his shirt with one hand, keeping him there. "Why us?" she whispered, her gaze never faltering. "Why did it have to be us?"

Kwame sighed, kissing the top of her head. "I do not know, Gi," he replied quietly. "I could not even tell you how it is she never learned of this until now. But what I do know is that we face enemies all around us, and we must be ready to fight them." He grinned. "I would not want to work with anyone but you."

Gi smiled, glad that he had said that. She looked up. "Kwame, I have to ask this... what do you thinks going to happen now?"

"I do not know, but we will face it together."

"... I know."

The Earth Planeteer stood up, holding out his hand. "I guess we need to return to the Crystal Chamber. Gaia will have to let us know what we are getting ourselves into."

Gi grinned. "Well, afterwards... we still need to salvage your pride," she replied, giving him a long, hard, passionate kiss afterwards.

That was something he couldn't wait to do.

* * *

Neptune slammed into the door, entering the control room.

Bleak was waiting for her, with a roundhouse punch that took her off of her game plan. She hit the ground, stunned.

Belldandy swooped in, kicking Bleak in the face, and knocking him back into the far wall. She launched a sealing spell at him, hoping to take him alive.

No luck there.

From his belt came a jamming device, which negated the spell rather handily. He leaped forward, slamming into Belldandy with the force of a bull, sending them both through the wall back into the hallway.

Belldandy blinked in surprise as the breath was knocked out of her. Bleak was obviously a strong man normally. His becoming an Agent had improved him a hundred fold. Only Sakar could say that he had hurt the First Class Goddess. Now Bleak can say he had come close.

But Bleak wasn't done. With that incomprehensible strength of his, he began slamming her into walls, creating rather large holes in the process. His fist slammed into her face with each impact, rattling her further.

Neptune came out of nowhere, kicking him in the gut hard. Her attack forced him to let go of Belldandy, and she pressed her advantage, with a bicycle kick that would have done Liu Kang proud.

The Eco Terrorist was up after a slight pause, blocking Neptune's right hook. He threw her into Belldandy, and pulled out his Zat. "Sorry, Luvs, but I've still got a lot of work to do!" he snarled, depressing the trigger.

Belldandy saw the energy discharge emerge from the tip, and brought her hand up, knocking the Water Senshi out of the way. She leaped forward, wincing as an electrical discharge swept across her back. However, several moments later, she felt the reassuring impact of a solid body as she slammed into Bleak. With a quick sweep of her hand, she knocked the Zat out of his hand. With her other hand, she literally slapped him through the wall.

Into a room full of vats.

Bleak brought his feet up, kicking her in the gut. While she was in mid air, he started running for the exit, hitting a panel in the process.

He was only a few steps away from the exit when a aqua blue blur suddenly appeared in front of him. His vision was obstructed by the sight of a gloved face slamming into him with terminal velocity. He staggered backwards, hitting the handrail...

...and flipped over it.

"No!" Neptune cried out, making a beeline for there. Her hand reached out, almost grabbing his boot. She was too late, as Bleak dropped into a vat filled with a bubbling purplish fluid. His scream of terror cut off as he hit it, going under as his body literally melted upon impact.

Neptune just stared down, shock and sorrow surging through her system. She hadn't wanted him to die, but... she couldn't stop it. She didn't move, her hand still outstretched in its last futile grab.

A gentle hand landed on her shoulder, doing nothing to help her through her grief. She looked up to see Belldandy's compassionate and understanding gaze upon her. "I... I should have realized."

"You couldn't have known," Belldandy interrupted her gently. "We both made a mistake of underestimating him, and we paid for it with his life." She looked down. "On that same note, he paid for his foolishness with his soul. He was beyond saving." Her gaze sharpened. "We can grieve for him when we have the time, but time is not something we have an abundance of. Come on."

And, her hand still gently on her shoulder, Belldandy led Neptune from the room, unaware of what Bleak had done.

* * *

Blight looked up as Bleak's signal suddenly cut off. "Well, he's dead," she said quietly, though not surprised. She had known that the day would come when his, Skumm's, and Nukem's allegiance to Sakar would be discovered, which was why they had gone to such lengths to prepare for that inevitable day.

Already, Bleak had sent the entirety of his power to her... and she was feasting upon it, her own strength growing considerably. She only had two more to wait for.

In the meantime, the time had come. With a single push of a button, she sent the order.

It was time for Yggdrasil's downfall to begin.

* * *

Hoshi moaned softly as she woke up, blinking the sleep from her eyes. She stretched, forgetting for a moment that she was in an unfamiliar bed, and started to get up.

She remembered quickly when an arm snaked around her waist, pulling her back. Turning her head, she stared at Anderson's grinning face, his eyes still closed. "Good morning, Captain" she purred, one hand reaching out to stroke one of his cheeks.

Anderson's grin grew. "Good morning, Ensign." An eye cracked open, shining with mirth. "Who said you could get up?"

"My need to use the toilet, and to take a shower." Hoshi sat up, heading for the bathroom.

Anderson watched her as she moved, glad that she was comfortable with her nudity in front of him. She had a great body, which she had no reason to be ashamed of.

After a few moments, he heard the toilet flush, and then the shower start. He decided to head there himself.

Hoshi smiled as she let the water run over her body, picking up the shampoo she had found. It had no smell, sweet or otherwise, so no one would complain. She opened, and got ready to put some of it in her hand.

"Mind if I join you?"

The Communication Officer turned to see Anderson standing there, grinning. She grinned in return, nodding. "I don't mind," she replied teasingly. "In fact, you can wash my back."

Anderson stepped in, taking the shampoo from her as he pulled the shower curtain closed...

* * *

Gaia concentrated, merging the two Earth and two Water Rings together as Gi and Kwame watched in trepidation. Neither one of them knew what to expect.

"There!" Gaia finally said, picking up the now two rings. "The combined power of the two rings have been brought together, and they're stable." She handed them to the two Planeteers, smiling. "You will find that you can now recharge Captain Planet with these rings, and utilize your powers again, even with him here. Use them wisely, and you'll be fine."

Kwame nodded, placing his ring back on his finger. Already, he could feel the power emanating from it. Stepping outside, he pointed it at a point two feet away. "_Earth!"_ he intoned, willing it to create a pillar.

To his surprise, a pillar of rock emerged, rising about three feet before stopping. And only a minor tremor accounted that anything happened.

Gi looked at her ring. "I think I'll need a body of water." Going inside, she got a glass of water from the sink, and set it down. "Water!" she whispered, willing the water rise from the cup.

Slowly, almost wobbling, the water slowly left the glass, staying cohesive the entire time. With a small twist of her will, she molded it into a rather sloppy looking dog shape. "I'll need some practice, but... I could get used to this."

Gaia smiled. "I'm glad that you're happy with this, Gi. With a little practice, you two will become an actual threat to Sakar's Agents."

"I know." With another thought, Gi set the water back in the cup, not spilling a drop. "That in itself is sad."

"I know what you mean." Kwame turned to Gaia. "Any word on Wheeler?"

The Spirit of Earth shook her head. "Nothing. They've been out of contact for two days now."

"But we do have something new."  
All three of them turned to see Clash coming towards them, looking rather triumphant. "What?" Gaia asked.

Clash grinned. "Bleak is no longer a threat. Neptune and Belldandy were able to stop him." The grin fell. "Unfortunately, we won't be able to question him. He fell into a vat of extremely corrosive liquid."

Gi's eyes widened. "He's dead?" she whispered.

"Fraid so."

"How corrosive?" Kwame asked.

"He... he melted." Even Clash sounded sickened by that. "The Network's taking samples for study. If they find anything, they'll let us know immediately."

The Earth Planeteer nodded, taking Gi by the hand. "Thank you, Clash. Gaia, is it alright if we have some time alone?"

Gaia nodded, understanding. Despite the vileness of their adversary, they were still human. Every Planeteer found the death of anyone to be one too many. Linka's cousin was still fresh on their minds. They would grieve for Bleak for a time, before they were ready to fight again.

By the time they returned, Ma-Ti and Laura would be back from South America

Clash watched them go, understanding their position. As a former soldier himself, he had watched comrades and enemies die on the battlefield... and it never got any easier. "Bleak's not the first causality, and he won't be the last," he told Gaia gently.

Gaia nodded. "I know, and I won't forget those have already died, and who will die because of the Death Dealer." Her gaze hardened. "But I also won't let him destroy this world... no matter the cost to myself."

Clash nodded. He had the same commitment, and he wouldn't waver in it. Not now.

* * *

Blight turned around, observing the screen. "Skumm, Bleak is dead. You need to get that device activated soon, and have it hidden. Otherwise, it won't matter if the virus is active."

_"Don't worry about it, Blight! My rats have finished placing the final components in!"_ Even over the com system, his vermin malice was there for everyone to see. _"Those Eco freaks won't know what hit them!"_

"Those Eco freaks can't be underestimated. Not anymore. Mud Momma was able to merge the rings of Earth and of Water together, restoring their full powers. Ma-Ti and Laura are now approaching South America in a shuttle pod. They'll land in approximately ten minutes. So move it!" Terminating the link, she settled back in her seat. "MAL, prepare for Stage Two."

MAL nodded, making the necessary preparations. "Doctor, what if the Planeteers find us?"

"It is of no concern, MAL baby. Soon, Sakar shall return, and I will possess the power necessary to beat both Wind bitches. He can have Sloane's head on a pike."

"I never realized how much you hate those two."

The human turned to glare at her computer sidekick. "Sloane robbed me of my chance to change the future, as you well know. Ivanova has proven herself as much of a threat as Lilith. The two of them have done more damage to me than even Captain Planet. And they have managed to stay together all of these years." Her fist slammed into the armrest, almost breaking it. "If they fall, the Planeteers will disintegrate like a house of cards."

"Of course..." MAL hesitated. "What happens if Fire and Wind become Guardians?"

"It won't matter. I'm an Empowered, and so is Sakar. A Guardian has to fight within those boundaries." Blight grinned. "Skumm and the others are food for me. As they die, I grow stronger. Soon, they'll all be dead... and I'll be more than a match for them! They'll die, and mine and Sakar's reign as the ultimate power will begin!"

Her laughter echoed throughout the room as her plan entered its second stage. Her confidence was also entirely justified.

For, like Sakar, she was a death dealer.

And soon, she would finally be allowed to become that again.

* * *

Here is Chapter Twenty Three, all finished. Chapter Thirty Four will focus on Wheeler's group, as well as Ma-Ti and Laura's pursuit of Verminus Skumm and his forces. Bre-tac's and Zephyer's journey to the invasion force will be given a spot here. So, please stay tuned. And please review. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

The rainforests of South America were the largest expanses of forests that still stood on the Earth. They absorbed the majority of the Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere, and expelled oxygen as their by product. By such a gas was life possible on Earth and thousands of worlds across the galaxy and beyond.

For Ma-Ti, one of those rainforests had been his home for most of his young life. He had lived there, obtaining his love of trees and animals with his people, even after the death of his parents at the hands of greedy entrepreneurs. From that, he learned of the evil that reside in many people's hearts.

It only made him appreciate those who fought so hard to preserve life in all of its forms, and the love in the heart of the woman next to him.

Laura looked at her boyfriend, saw the distant look on his face. "Thinking about the past?" she asked gently.

Ma-Ti turned his head. "A little," he admitted. "I have not been home in over seven years. Even Wheeler went home to New York to see his father."

"You have been a little busy, and Wheeler went home because his father was dying."

"Still, this was my home. My people live in this forest, and have for centuries."

Laura smiled slightly, squeezing the other Heart Planeteer's hand gently. "This is still your home, love. It'll always be your home."

Ma-Ti looked at her, returning the smile. He was forever in awe of her ability to make him smile. "Thank you, Laura. I needed to hear that." His gaze shifted to the window. The shuttle pilot turned around, having ignored their conversation the entire time. "We're beginning our descent. I suggest you two get ready."

The battle against the Sunak would be upon them soon. But it wasn't there yet. They still had a small chance.

They had worked with less.

* * *

The light was almost blinding.

Wheeler shielded his eyes as he and his friends fell through eternity, but an eternity that had an end to it. He knew that, whatever they came across, they would be more than ready for it.

His instincts proved correct, as the lot of them suddenly hit ground.

Trip stumbled a bit, gaining his bearings. "Okay, that was different," he said, shaking the cobwebs out of his head.

"_Da_, I will go with that." Linka brushed her jacket off, looking around. "Where are we?"

Wheeler looked around. "This place... it isn't in any memory of my bloodline. It's more of... a myth." He looked at them, saw their confused expressions. "Those who preceded the knights of Charlemagne spoke of a place known only as the Trial of Passage. It is said that when the lands of a faraway land become host to darkness, and that darkness is weakened by a mysterious force, the mysterious stones will give birth to a doorway to this place." He turned around. "If I were to take a guess, I'd say Nekomi was the catalyst. Sakar went there to pay Belldandy back for her interference."

"And we were able to hold him off long enough for _Enterprise_ to destroy his connections to Vandrasil," T-Pol added, understanding dawning. "Fascinating. How could those in the past obtain such knowledge."

Linka frowned. "About a year ago, there was a young man named Greg Urawa, who was said to possess the ability to foresee the future, going to Juuban Junior High School. He is with the Sailor Scouts on Lunar, so there must be some truth to that statement."

"It is true," Wheeler stated. "He has voluntary control over that power. Everyone has an extremely limited use of this power. We call it deja-vu. Very few people possess an involuntary power to see into the future. Even fewer can control it to meet their own ends." He turned around. "But Greg is unique even among them. He sees a future that will not go his way, he will move heaven and hell to change it. As must we, if we're going to survive these trials."

"Then we're probably going to have to that way." Trip checked his scanner. "This thing's not working!" he growled.

"Neither is mine," T-Pol stated, putting it away. "Whatever's in here is interfering with our equipment."

Linka turned around, taking a closer look at their surroundings. "Well, if I am any judge, I would say that we are still in the same place that we arrived in."

"Definitely."

Now that the shock of going through a ball of light had worn off, the four explorers now noticed their immediate surroundings had changed a little. For starters, they were still out in the open. The field they were in looked no different than the one where they parked the Geo Cruiser.

"No landmarks in sight," Linka reported. "It looks like we are in the middle of nowhere."

"Appearances can be deceiving." Wheeler looked around. "We go this way."

"How can you tell?" T-Pol asked.

"... I have no idea. It's just a feeling I have."

Trip gestured, sighing. "We don't have any choice but to follow. Lead the way."

* * *

Zephyer checked his sensors, observing the constant shift of the solar winds. "It is amazing how much things can change within the course of a week," he mentioned. "A week ago, I would not have even considered helping the Spirit of Earth on any endeavor."

Bre-tac nodded in understanding. "I had a similar revelation when I first met the Tauri. I believed that they were not worthy to be helped, or to help us. But as I came to know them, I realized that Teal'c had chosen his friends well." He looked at the control display. "How are we to get there? I have seen no hyperspace lanes on the grid."

"This vessel is equipped with a warp engine. It will allow us to maintain our communication capabilities while reaching our destination quickly."

The Jaffa Master nodded, rather surprised. He had heard that the Sunak possessed a different method of faster than light travel from the rest of the galaxy, but he didn't realize that they possessed the ability to communicate with others, like the Asgard. "How soon are we to reach the invasion fleet?"

"In two days time." Zephyer activated several controls. "The chairs can be modified to become beddings, so as make it somewhat comfortable to sleep."

Bre-tac nodded. "I shall be doing Kal Mar Re within the next three minutes. If something happens, do not hesitate to rouse me."

"Understood." Zephyer watched the Jaffa warrior as he kneeled. "Are the humans truly worth dying for?" he asked.

Bre-tac turned back to him for a moment, before nodding. "They are not only worthy dying for, they are worth dying with."

That satisfied the Telazian pilot, and he returned his attention to his scanners, typing in the coordinates of the fleet.

The Sunak fighter's engines began glowing, the giddea orb mixing with the antimatter supply. Within moments, the vessel accelerated into subspace in a blast of light...

... quickly followed by a cloaked vessel, with a single Suliban soldier at the helm.

* * *

Ma-Ti hoisted his pack over his shoulder, taking in a breath of air. It was filled the essence of the life he had known, of all of the adventures he had been on. If those trees could speaks, they would most likely welcome him home.

_'Or shun me,'_ he thought, a shiver of remorse going through his system, _'for not visiting my tribe more often.'_ In all honesty, he didn't really know why he hadn't done so.

Laura looked around, her ring glowing slightly. "They're still here," she said. "The animals... incredible." She turned to Ma-Ti, awe in her eyes. "Is this how you feel every day you help an animal?"

Ma-Ti nodded, his feelings fading away as the familiar emotions of the animals flowed through his mind, an ebb and flow of different moods that he didn't even try to sort it out. It would have been too painful to.

The pilot checked his communicator, nodding to himself. "I'll stay here an guard the shuttle," he informed them. "In case of trouble, don't hesitate to contact me immediately. I can be at your location within an hour."

Ma-Ti nodded. "Understood. Hopefully, we won't need to call you." He turned to Laura. "Do we have everything?"

Laura nodded. "Everything but Sutchi... but that was because we..." She suddenly set her pack down, and pulled a chattering fur ball out of it. "brought him," she finished, somewhat surprised.

"Sutchi!" Ma-Ti took his animal friend from Laura, shaking his head. "I thought you had learned better than to stowaway. We are heading into a dangerous situation."

Sutchi began chattering, clearly agitated. The Starfleet Officer shrugged his shoulders, mystified at the looks of exasperations that crossed both Planeteer's faces. At least Captain Archer only had his pet dog to deal with, and Porthos was a well behaved dog. Of course, he didn't know everything about the Planeteers.

Ma-Ti finally let out a chuckle, stroking Sutchi's head. "I should have known better than to try and leave without you," he murmured. "Very well, you may come with us."

Laura snapped her fingers in mock irritation. "So much for that romantic dinner," she said. "I'm going to have to get out the bananas, now."

Sutchi leaped back onto Laura, nuzzling her cheek, chattering enthusiastically. He knew that she was only joking, and he let her know that.

Laura scratching his chin, smiling. "Well, we better get going. Skumm's got something planned to have come here. He probably knows by now that we're not at full strength."

"Probably. Well, let's do this."

* * *

Verminus Skumm chortled as he watched his spy system, seeing the two Heart Planeteers as they made their way into the rain forest. He had been expecting this, having learned of Bleak's demise through Blight. His rodent like teeth glinted in the pale light of his base.

Unlike many of the Eco terrorists who joined the Death Dealer, Skumm was the only one who had been exposed to radioactive particles, combining his DNA with genetic material from a disease infected rat. Because of this, he had become immune to every known type of disease on Earth. He soon became a genetic expert, utilizing his newfound power to develop new and even more dangerous substances, as well as a small legion of rat men.

But most of those men were now behind bars, or in genetics lab, as scientists studied their altered DNA. So, he had resorted to dipping into the Agent forces, utilizing the perfect genetic army to run his operations.

Now he had a chance to hurt Wheeler Sloane. Any member of Sakar's army, who had faced the Fire Planeteer in any ecological disaster knew what he was capable of. Skumm and Sloane had faced against each other more times than any other terrorist, and Skumm hated him with a passion equal to the Master. His last scheme, which involved giving Sloane's old friends weapons, had failed miserably because of him.

Since then, Skumm had retreated to his final refuge, focusing on building his power base, and eroding the power of the Spirit of Destruction, adding it to his own. He had been successful in that, now stronger than any other Agent out there.

An Agent walked up to him, a report in his hand. "Construction is now complete, Sir," he informed him.

Skumm hissed in triumph. "Excellent! Inform Doctor Blight that we are ready to deploy the virus!" His gaze returned to the screen. "Inform her that Ma-Ti and Laura Talbot have arrived, and are on their way to the Native Village."

"Yes, sir."

The Rat monster grinned as the Agent left him. He had completed his part of the plan. Now he had some downtime before the invasion, and he had two experiments just waiting to be completed.

The perfect surprise for those two brave, stupid Planet lovers.

* * *

T-Pol shivered, hugging herself. "Is it always this cold?"

Wheeler shrugged. " Linka and I have been to the Artic. It's colder than being here." He grinned. "Actually, I find this invigorating."

Linka smiled. "Oh, this brings back memories of being home in Russia. My brother and I used to go ice skating during the winter."

Trip chuckled. "I never learned. I was more interested in space and warp speed than I was learning to skate."

"I never really saw snow when I came to Earth," T-Pol admitted. "Vulcan is a desert planet, with minimal precipitation. I was... enchanted by these little frozen raindrops as they floated down to the ground."

Wheeler's grin became knowing. "First snow is always the best, especially during the Christmas season. It brings a sense of magic to the world around you, whether or not you celebrate Christmas."

Trip grinned. "Yeah, that's the best kind of snow."  
T-Pol started to smile slightly. "Maybe one day, I can see my first snow fall, too."

The other three smiled at that. She was starting to sound like a kid who wanted a new game.

Their moment of joy ended when Linka suddenly stopped, her eyes growing wide. "I think we have arrived at the first test," she said, looking to her right.

Wheeler stepped up next to her, looking at what she had seen. It was a small shack, with no discernible doors or windows. It was constructed out of what appeared to be rotting wood. And yet...

And yet, it seemed to draw their attention to it.

Trip blinked. "Now that's a dump."

"So much so," T-Pol said, in complete agreement. "They didn't even have the decency to put in a door."

"Perhaps we are to try and find a way in." Linka frowned. "But there are only so many places that we can look."

Wheeler grinned. "Well, let's start looking, then."

* * *

The rainforest seemed to be awfully quiet. Much quieter than Ma-Ti remembered it. Before, it hummed with life. Not a second went by without some kind of sound making it presence known, whether it was the sound of mosquitoes buzzing by, one of the more exotic creatures going through its daily routine, the rainforest personified the last part of Earth's life before the industrialization.

But now... it was silent. A fearful silence, one so think it was almost suffocating.

Laura, it seemed, felt the change too. "They're frightened," she whispered, her eyes tracking every which way. "They know something's wrong."

Ma-Ti nodded. There was so much fear here, his telepathy would be worse than useless. Even Sutchi's chattering had died away, replaced with a tremor of worry. His frown grew.

There was something wrong. A creature was here that didn't belong.

Or a power that was not of this world.

The new Planeteer suddenly looked up, her gaze skimming the canopy. "looks like I know part of the problem," she said. "There are Goa'uld death gliders flying overhead. They're heading for a corner deep within the Amazon."

Ma-Ti reached out as well, touching the thoroughly alien mind as it roared on by. "A cloaking device?"

"Probably."  
The Heart Planeteer pulled his communicator out. "Ma-Ti to Shuttlepod."

"_Go ahead."_

"We have detected Death Gliders flying overhead, utilizing some sort of cloaking device that also manages to mask their engines. Please alert _Enterprise_ immediately."

"_Understood. _Cochrane _out."_

Ma-Ti quickly closed his eyes, and concentrated. "_Gaia, we have a problem..."_ He quickly relayed everything he and Laura knew and suspected, including their current location. "_Be prepared. I think that Skumm may have a desire to attack Hope Island."_

"_Don't worry. We'll keep an eye out for any attack force," _Gaia sent back. "_Thank you, Ma-Ti, for bringing this to my attention. Good luck."_

Ma-Ti turned to Laura. "Can you get an exact location?" he asked.

Laura nodded. "That way. They've stopped... I can't read their minds, so I have no idea what they're up to."

"Well, let us make haste, then."

* * *

"Whoever freakin designed this thing was a sadist," Trip growled. "I mean, who builds somethin' like this... without a door?!"

"Someone who's a sadist," T-Pol replied. "You two find anything?"

"_Nyet_." Linka stood up, rubbing her back. "I wonder if this is just a stop place to rest."

Wheeler shook his head. "No, I think we were meant to find this," he said, conviction clear in his tone. "How we get in is the test."

"Well, perhaps it is a test, but perhaps we must find a key of some sort."  
"I think these tests can only be solved by looking deep within our hearts and souls."

"_Da_, and elephants will be flying on fairy wings."

As if on cue, a bunch of itsy bitsy, teeny weenie pink elephants flew overhead, fairy wings fluttering rapidly.

T-Pol turned to Linka, a small grin on her face. "Who wants the first chance at looking into their souls?" she asked cheerfully.

The Wind Planeteer sighed, rubbing her head. "Alright, then. I shall... what is the word? 'bite?'"

"You've got it, babushka."

* * *

The final death glider landed in position, systems powering down as the Jaffa onboard activated their earth bound comm systems.

The platform they and five other ships were on suddenly dropped down into the ravine. It was the only one of two ways to get in and out of the base.

Skumm designed it that way. It was more than six miles underground, so it could escape detection from most forms of satellite recon. Only Yggdrasil's sensors, which were designed to look into the very fabric of reality, had been lucky enough to locate it. Other than that, the perfect hideout.

And the perfect place to prepare for a battle.

The second the death gliders arrived at the docking bay, stairs were brought forward for the pilots. The Jaffa climbed down to the ground, standing at attention.

Skumm approached them, grinning evilly. "Any change in your report?" he asked.

The lead Jaffa, a warrior built along the lines of Teal'c, stepped forward. "As you expected, the Tauri Planeteers of Heart are in the rainforest. They are heading this way."

"Good." He turned around. "What do you think, Hathor? Do we proceed?"  
The Goa'uld who had made herself the Goddess of Love and Fertility stepped forward, her Egyptian garb shimmering in the harsh light. "It is certainly not any concern to us. We shall let them enter the base with the next changing of vessels... and spring our trap."

"Very good. Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go back to work on my little experiment." Bowing, the meta agent walked away.

Hathor walked up to the Jaffa, grinning. "You have served me well over the last week, First Prime. I trust that you will continue to do so in the future."

The Jaffa bowed. "I shall do as you command, my Lady Hathor."

* * *

"I've got nothing." Wheeler sat down, sighing. "Guess I'm not the one to take care of this."

Linka patted his shoulder. "I did not do it either. A pity."

Trip shook his head. "Looks like you're up, T-Pol."

T-Pol turned to him, skeptical. "Trip, you three are humans. Belief in magic is your area of expertise. I'm a vulcan. We're more scientific."

"Good point. So, what are we gonna do, Wheeler?"  
Wheeler frowned a bit. "You, I think you're onto something, T-Pol."

"I am?" T-Pol looked at him in confusion. "With what?"

The Fire Planeteer got up, circling the shack again. "These cracks here, at first glance, look like simply wear and tear. But, now they look like they were placed there strategically."

The Sub commander arched an eyebrow. "It looks like a giant puzzle."

"Exactly."

"In fact... it looks like a _vulcan_ three dimensional puzzle. One of the more difficult types we have on the planet. It requires a group of four to move each piece into position, and it requires that you know what the structure is supposed to be upon completion."

Trip looked at the structure, nodding. "I'd say that we have either a door, or a bad turn of luck."

"I don't think that it's a door, Trip... but you've got the basic idea. It is some sort of entryway, but not a door."

For a moment, all of them puzzled over the structure before them, trying to guess what it could be. They suggested and discarded a number of ideas, and had to restrain Trip from kicking the object.

Finally, T-Pol looked up, an idea percolating. With her photographic memory, she began tracing the lines, then matching them slowly, so as not to make any mistakes. "I think I know what it is," she said at long last. "It's a map."

Wheeler thought about it, nodding thoughtfully. "You might be right. How do we go about with constructing it, then?"

Quickly, the Sub-Commander had them begin moving the pieces into position, double checking each time to make sure it was properly aligned. It took them a while, but they persevered.

T-Pol's instincts proved right. The second the final piece was locked in place, it revealed a map of some kind. Almost immediately, the structure began to glow brightly, causing them to shield their eyes. When the glow faded, they beheld an incredible sight.

The structure had become a cave, one larger than anything they had ever seen. And there, floating before them, was a well worn traveler map. It was identical to the one they had just put together.

Linka turned to T-Pol, impressed beyond measure. "Round one to the vulcan," she said, grinning.

T-Pol returned the grin. "Let's take the map, and find out where we're supposed to go in there. I suspect that our engineer here will be next to go."

* * *

The two Heart Planeteers were fortunate enough not to run into any of the indigenous life in the area, which was disturbing in itself. Whatever was in the rainforest was enough to frighten them all away.

Ma-Ti eyed the structure before them, and knew, just _knew_, it wasn't a natural one. It was supposed to look like an ancient temple, complete with a crumbling foundation. But there was no way it could be real.

The people milling inside, and below it, bore testimony to that.

Laura observed the building, turning to him. "I'm taking a lucky guess here, but this isn't supposed to be here."

"You're correct. This is near the spot where my parents were killed." Ma-Ti looked around. "And there are entirely too many people here to get a clear reading... wait a minute..." He turned his head. "Laura, do you sense that?"

Laura nodded. "Skumm?"

"Skumm."

"So, how do we get in there? I doubt we can simply walk through the front door."

On that, he had to agree. To attempt to go through that entrance would be nothing less than suicide. So what other entrance could there be?"

As he pondered their problem, the sound of engines caught his attention. Looking up, he saw a death glider started its descent. Without need for words, he looked at Laura.

Laura grasped what he was thinking immediately, quickly following him back into the forest. From the tree cover, they watched as the attack fighter landed in front of them, its engines shutting down.

Laura turned back to her boyfriend. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?' she asked.

Ma-Ti nodded, grinning. "I think we have found our backdoor. Let's go."

Quickly, the two Planeteers ran for the death glider, climbing up one of the landing struts. If they wanted to get in, they were going to have to get in without being seen.

Almost immediately, the death glider began to descend into the ground, passing through what was obviously a holographic projection. The light of day was quickly swallowed, showing that the projection was solid as well.

They didn't have far to go. The platform was rather fast, allowing them to cover great distance with speed. It also became obvious that they were also descending several miles underground, which made their task a little more difficult.

Most notably, when they wanted to leave.

* * *

Blight watched the two Planeteers begin their downward journey, mildly amused at how easily they were to herd. "They're coming down, Skumm," she said. "Prepare the welcoming committee for them, with all of the usual refinements." She didn't bother waiting for a reply, instead turning to MAL. "Viral Status."

MAL's face never changed expression, but there was no mistaking the glee in his voice. "The virus has infiltrated the entirety of the southern Yggdrasil systems so far. It's making for their classified programs as we speak."

"Good. Let me know when it's done. I'm going to bed." Without a backwards glance, she walked out of the room, heading for her room. Unlike Skumm and the Agents, she still needed eight hours of sleep.

Eight hours were nothing though, compared to eternity. She could wait.

* * *

Gaia turned around as Clash entered the Crystal Chamber, his gaze hard. "I take you have something that you're not happy with," she said.

Clash sat down. "We've got a problem," he began. "Some of my old Vietnam buddies called to let me know that four members of my platoon vanished last night. Now, I was able to tell them that it was probably just them sleepwalking- they're known for that- but I think the Jaffa might be behind it."

The Spirit of the Earth frowned. "General Hammond told me that the Stargate program's going to revealed in about two more days. If the Jaffa are responsible, we're going to have to tell them."

"Colonel O'Neill's already been informed. He's telling the rest of his unit and the General right now."

"Good. What about Kimsi?"

"He's blustering a bit, thinking that he knows better than anyone, the little snake."

Gaia grinned. "I'm guessing he was one of the people who was opposed to finding alternative sources of fuel that don't damage the environment."

"No, he wanted Naquadah technology to be made a commercially useful product, despite the fact its about a thousand years too advanced for use by the public. The President was being smart when he made that command."

It made sense. Technology that no one was ready for would eventually destroy the world. That was something that had worried Gaia for the last week. Technology beyond anything Earth had created on their own was being used by the U.S. military, and has been for years.

A beeping caught her attention, and she turned her attention to the Planet Vision. "The other shuttle's approaching," she said. "Ensign Sato and Captain Carter are early."

Clash grinned. "Isn't she always?" He looked at his watch. "I'm going to go check on the southern defense points."

"Yeah, thanks." She turned her attention back to the screen, watching as various images of the planet appeared on screen. Despite everything that was happening, she still kept an eye on the world's environment.

Such was her duty.

* * *

Ma-Ti shivered, feeling the level of malevolence that intensified as they dropped deeper into the ground. They had been doing so for about three minutes with no end in sight. By his estimation, they had already dropped to below sea level.

On the plus side, he believed that they were nearing the end of their journey. The platform they were on was slowing down quickly. Quickly nudging Laura, he pointed towards the back of the death glider they were under. She quickly grasped what he meant, and quickly leaped onto a wing, climbing up. Ma-Ti followed, albeit a bit slower. He had no desire to fall off before reaching the top of the vessel. It was the only real hiding spot they had.

Their timing was perfect. No sooner had they reached the top of the death glider, the platform entered a massive bay of some sort. It was gray, without the various monitors and screens that one would find in a place like Blight's or Skumm's. However, Jaffa weren't the only beings there.

There were also Agents as well, patrolling the area.

The second the platform set down, the two Heart Planeteers jumped down, landing quietly. A pulse of Heart energy quickly masked their presence there so they could find a hiding spot. Once there, they could plan their next move.

Laura ducked behind a large stack of crates, Ma-Ti following suite. "There sure are a lot of them," she whispered. "How are we supposed to find Skumm in this mess?"

"I do not know," Ma-Ti replied. "We may just have to search the base, room by room. But that is simply both time consuming, and dangerous. We may be discovered."

"... What about the security room?"

"... ... That may work. We could use the system to find his quarters. Good idea, Laura."

Laura smiled, her eyes glittering. "Well, that's one problem out of the way. It leads to the other problem, though."

Ma-Ti nodded, his good mood evaporating. "We need to find it."

"Exactly."

Both of them looked around, poking their heads out fort a second, before ducking again. Three corridors led further into the complex, which meant they had three different avenues to check. Who knew how many corridors there were throughout the complex?

Ma-Ti saw a group of Agents head down one hall, and poked Laura. "We might as well go down that way," he said quietly. "Otherwise, we shall eventually be discovered here."

We're going to follow them, and pray we're right?"

"Pretty much."

Laurta shrugged. "Better than nothing. Lead the way, love."

As quietly as possible, they ran after the Agents, disappearing into the hall.

----

Hathor decloaked, watching as they left with smile on her face. "They took the bait," she murmured. "Let us continue leading them through the maze, then." She brought her communicator up. "They are here."

_The Agents are aware of this,"_ Skumm replied. _"They know what to do. Have a proper welcoming party at my nest to greet them."_

"O course." The Goa'uld smiled, switching frequencies. It was time for Laura Talbot to meet her Goddess. "First Prime, ask Amonet to assemble her guard, and meet me at Skumm's quarters. we should greet the Tauri who have arrived.

_"By your command, My Lady."_

Hathor activated her phase cloak, vanishing into nothingness again. No need for them to see her until it was time, after all.

When it was time for them to fall, of course.

* * *

And here is Chapter Twenty Four. Chapter Twenty Five will have Laura meeting the one who killed her father, and the second phase of the battle between Mrs. Sloane and Nukem will commence. The second trial of Fire and Wind will also begin, with a surprise appearance from some of Trip's past. So please continue reading, and review. I do want to know what you're thinking.

Next chapter will feature the appearance of two more Akalon characters, and her presence will have an effect on the balance of power on Earth. I just have to figure out which ones.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty Five

In orbit, the _Enterprise's _sensor grid detected the powerful nuclear signature emerging from the planet, growing stronger with each passing moment. It was catalogued, and forwarded to the Science Station, where T-Pol's replacement was working. A message was transferred to Hoshi's console, where her replacement was busy. She immediately forwarded the information to the surface, while a copy of the report went directly to the Captain's computer.

On the surface, Sloane closed her communicator, feeling rather concerned. Nukem was getting a great deal stronger than their last encounter. Their battle in Europe ended in a stalemate, with him running again. On the plus side, the Chernobyl site was no longer a disaster area, and the land could be used once again. The deserted building they had fought him at in France was no longer an issue either.

Qui Gon looked at her. "I take the information wasn't to your liking?" he asked.

"No, it wasn't. We're going to have to be careful. If Nukem escapes again, we won't be able to find him in time."

"Agreed." Fully healed now, the Jedi Master brought his blade up, the green energy glinting off the walls of the buildings around them. "I wonder what brought him to New York."

Sloane glared at the Metropolitan Apartment building, already knowing the answer. "This was where it all began for Wheeler. He wants to make it clear that there is no way to stop the Death Dealer." Her ring pulsed for a moment. "We're not going to let him have that. Not now, not ever." She glared at the building, where her husband had fallen, trying to protect them. "Let's go."

With that single phrase, the final battle between two powers began.

* * *

Ma-Ti's entire body was taut with tension as they snuck down the hallway. He had every right to be. It was just him and his girlfriend, with no one coming to their aid if they failed. They were surrounded by enemies on all sides, and every second they were here, they ran the risk of being discovered. In short, everything was against them this day.

Laura suddenly stopped, looking around, grabbing her boyfriend's arm. "There!" she hissed, dragging Ma-Ti into a supply closet, closing the door behind them.

Ma-Ti looked at his girlfriend, the little light from the door way providing some illumination, wondering what that was all about. It became clear when the sound of heavy footsteps suddenly marched by, several voices making their presences felt. _'It must be a shift change,'_ he thought.

Laura nodded to his thought. _'Definitely,'_ she sent.

'Wonderful. So we're stuck here.'

'Pretty much. I don't know about you, but I 'really don't want to be stuck I here with nothing to do.'

'Neither do I. What do you have in mind, if anything?'

Laura grinned.

'Probably not... ah!'

'What's wrong?'

He rotated his shoulder blade gingerly, testing his fingers. _'I think you almost wrenched my arm out of its socket,'_ he said.

'Either that, or we could have been captured. I just have little movement in my arm.'

Laura quickly made a decision.

Ma-Ti nodded, seeing the logic in her statement. He quickly shed his jacket and shirt, holding them in his good hand. Soon, he felt her hands on the affected shoulder, working it. He felt the muscles there relax slowly under her administrations, his own eyes closing for a moment.

Laura smiled at the slight dip in Ma-Ti's head, keeping her attentions primarily focused on his shoulder. It was tempting to keep going down, but they didn't have the time. _'How's you arm?'_ she asked.

Ma-Ti flexed his arm, working the fingers again. _'Better. I have better mobility. Thank you.'_ He quickly put his shirt and jacket on, before looking up. That little massage had taken quite a bit of time. There were no sounds coming from the other side of the door.

Laura made for the door, opening it slightly. "The coast is clear," she said quietly.

"Thank god." He joined her at the door. "Let us hope that we can locate our 'guide's' tracks before we lose it permanently."

Laura frowned. "Well, they were going down that way, so I suggest we keep going that way until we hit a fork in the road."

It was a good plan, and one that they could both agree on. The only downside was that they didn't know how far the hallway went.

And the fact that they were still in the middle of enemy territory, with no backup on the horizon, it was safe to say that their situation was very dire indeed.

* * *

"Interesting place," T-Pol commented. "I've never been in a crystal cave before."

Wheeler had to agree with her on that. It was his first time being in such a place, too.

The cave, on the outside, looked like simple rock, dull and eroding. Nothing special about it.

Within though, was a whole different story. The walls were literally the same kind of crystal that helped create the Crystal Chamber's Planet Vision. Wheeler's Ring was reflecting off its surface, casting it in a fiery light.

"Incredible," Linka whispered. "This looks like it has been here since the dawn of time."

"More like, the beginning of the bloodline." Wheeler looked around. "This cave tells the story of Fire and Wind, though the ages. We're in it, too."

"How ya figure that?" Trip asked.

The Fire Planeteer pointed. "Look at the walls. The crystal shines more brightly as we go deeper into this place. It goes by the age of the bloodline. For starters, the cave entrance was dull. After about fifty feet, it began to shine. Here, we can see ourselves off of the walls."

"Hmm... well, you know more about this than I do."

"He knows more about this than the three of us put together," T-Pol threw in, scratching her ear absently. "Which reminds me, can you make heads or tails of that map?"

"_Da_." Linka frowned. "We will need to make a right turn at this upcoming intersection."

"Are you sure?"

"As sure I can be, under the circumstances Yankee." She looked up. "In fact, it is coming up right about... now."

Indeed, they had reached the intersection. Now they looked at it, trying to decide whether or not they should follow the instructions.

"Do we risk it?" Trip asked.

"Probably not," T-Pol replied. "Wheeler, what do you think?"  
"I think we need a break." Wheeler plopped down to the ground, letting out a groan. "Regardless where we, standing up for several hours without rest is no picnic."  
The other three followed his example, thought with a little more grace than him. Linka sidled up to him, sighing as he put an arm around her, holding her close. "Hmm, this is a good way to rest," she murmured.

"You won't get any argument with me," Wheeler replied, letting his head fall back. "Haven't had to worry about aches and pains for a week. "I've almost forgotten what it felt like."

"Me too."

T-Pol giggled a this display of tenderness, before starting as an arm slid around her shoulders. "Trip!"  
Trip smiled slightly. "We've already hugged and kissed. I think you can learn to like a good cuddle."

"... You're probably right. I just wasn't expecting you to do that."

"Well, that's another thing that you need to know about humans. We're prone to doing the unexpected."

The two Planeteers looked at each other, snickering several seconds later. "Human and vulcan love patter is so interesting to listen to," Wheeler noted.

"_Da. _I will bet that our friends found our arguments to be just as amusing," Linka replied.

"I got that feeling."

The four of them started laughing, remembering all of the ribbing they had been subjected to by their closest friends. It was definitely a great stress reliever, to say the least.

Trip finally got up, dusting the back of his pants off. "Well, we won't be able to get back for all that ribbing and teasing if we don't complete this Trial," he said. "I say we keep goin'."

"I can help you there, Charles."

* * *

Sloane frowned as her gaze swept the lobby. "Looks like Nukem's made himself at home," she said, grimacing at the melted plastic that had once been a remote control. Nor was it the only thing that had been destroyed. The entire lobby had been turned into a war zone, and unlike the last time, this one was real.

Qui Gon suddenly looked up. "He's on the roof," he said. "He's waiting for us."

"Well, let's not disappoint him." The Wind Planeteer quickly shot up the stairs, the Jedi Knight right behind her. A sword appeared in her hand, the air molecules vibrating in the process. She wasn't going to get caught off guard again.

Up the stairwell they went, knowing that no one was in the building in which to look out for. They had some leeway to cut loose, though they would have to be careful.

Finally, after fifteen minutes of running, the two warriors burst out onto the ceiling, their eyes landing on the glowing body of Duke Nukem.

Nukem didn't even wait. He had been standing like that for over several minutes, building up enough of a charge to incinerate the Wind warrior with one shot. With her now there, he fired.

Sloane shoved Qui Gon in one direction while she rolled in another, the blast destroying the door, and going off into the distance. She quickly sent out a summons to Gaia, letting her know that they had engaged Nukem, and they would need radiation control teams standing by. Then she leaped up, collecting the Four winds to her, and unleashing it in one powerful blast. She managed to blast him off of the roof, before landing, smirking. No living being could survive falling from this level.

Her smirk lasted all of three seconds, as Nukem rose up, energy surging from him in waves. _'Oh, shit!'_ she thought, backing up quickly.

The granite looking monster adjusted his Hawaiian shirt for a moment, before starting forward, his fist cocked.

Qui Gon came out of nowhere with a force push, his lightsaber lashing out to slice the mutant agent's head right off. After all, his lightsaber could cut through anything.

Nukem caught the blade with his hand... and held it.

His fist smashed into the force field the Jedi had made around himself. It was more than enough to disarming him, and knocking him through the molten slag that had been their way out. He hit the edge of the roof, flipping over it. Desperate, he reached out.

His questing hand grabbed the edge of a window pane, gripping it tightly. His other hand quickly latched onto his salvation, and began to pull himself up slightly. That punch had taken every ounce of his Force reserve to deflect. It meant he had grown stronger from their last encounter.

Nukem let out a large laugh as the depleted lightsaber dropped to the ground, his hand smoking for a moment. "I've been able to absorb energy blades for over thirty years now!" he crowed, both fists clenching. "It's only going to make me angry!"  
Sloane brought her ring up, channeling everything she could into it. "_Cyclonic Blast!_" she intoned, condensing the winds into one extremely powerful shape. With a bellow of defiance, she fired.

Her aim was true, blasting the giant into the sky. There, she manipulated the air currents, bringing them up to near hurricane ferocity. She was going to make this creature suffer for everything he had put the planet through.

For several long moments, Nukem was tossed back and forth through the air, being used as a ball by a very angry Wind warrior. If he were anyone else, the ride would have made him sick to his stomach. Nevertheless, he was still human to become extremely dizzy.

Sloane grinned, finally letting him drop to the ground... and roughly sixty miles and hour. He slammed into the roof in roughly the same spot he had lifted from... and went through, going through three floors before finally stopping.

Sloane leaped down after him, lance pointing downward. Focusing her power, she shot downward like a rocket.

Nukem flipped onto his back, grabbing her spear before it could penetrate his chest. The force of her strike, however, took the two of them through the floor, all the way back down to the lobby.

Qui Gon looked down, seeing the fire escape just below him. Letting go, he quickly dropped several feet,. landing awkwardly on it. He quickly started down the metal ladders, hoping to find the reinforcements there.

Otherwise, things were going to become complicated, given his lightsaber challenged state.

* * *

The Agent's trail finally came to a stop at one particular door. It was like every other door, with no discernible markings on it.

But Ma-Ti had a feeling that this door would finally give them some answers. He opened the door, and going in, Laura right behind him.

They were in luck. They had found the main security room. Here, various screens were set up so the one Agent in the room could observe the entire base.

"_Heart_," Laura whispered, sending a powerful pulse into the Agent's brain. The Agent promptly collapsed, unconscious. "You're more skilled with computers than I do."  
Ma-Ti quickly checked the screens, tapping various controls to enhance certain images. "Here," he finally said, pointing at one screen. "Skumm's quarters are located on this floor, down the left hall, final door." He looked at her. "We are almost to our goal."

"Good. I hate long waits." The other Heart Planeteer frowned. "You ever get the feeling that this is too easy?" she asked.

"Every second we have been here," he replied. "We might as well get this over with." With that thought, and one more check in the halls, the two Planeteers started down the hall towards Skumm's inner lair.

The brunette observed them or a second, adjusting her suit and glasses to Agent perfection, before following them. A hand reached into her pocket, ready to pull out her weapon at the right moment.

* * *

Mary got out of the car, looking up. She could hear the sounds of battle occurring within the building, and guessed that Mrs. Sloane and her nemesis were now in the lobby, exchanging blows. Within the Force, she could feel the level of energy being admitted by both combatants. The fact that Sloane was able to keep it contained within the building was a testament to her abilities.

But it was only a matter of time before Nukem finally managed to get the upper hand, and force the confrontation into the streets.

Mary swiftly made for the entrance, the Force flowing through her form like a river. She quickly slammed into the door, breaking it off of its hinges. She immediately greeted by the form of Lilith Sloane flew by, a forcefield that was barely holding deflecting an energy blast of unknown power. She turned her head to see Nukem powering up, and moved to stop it.

Nukem suddenly felt a powerful grip around his arm, the energy blast going well over Sloane's head. He turned his head towards her. "Who the hell are you?!" he snarled.

"A friend of the family." Mary brought her lightsaber up, the blade appearing almost immediately. "You shall not harm another."

"Like you'll stop me!" Nukem swiftly started towards her, his hand cocking into a fist. "So come on, hit me with that thing!"

Mary slowly backed up, letting the Force guide her hand. Her blade lashed out.

Nukem effortlessly caught it with his free hand, grinning as he drained the blade's power. "Wow, this is a lot of power!" he stated, grinning. "How'd you-?"

Mary's fist slammed into his face, proving to be somewhat harder than his head. She kicked him in the gut, before backing up, looking at her weapon for a moment before tossing it to the side.

Sloane blinked as the Jedi tossed it to the side. "What the hell are you doing?" she asked.

Mary nodded to her slowly. "Don't worry. We will win."

"Or die." The Wind Warrior was back on her feet, reaffirming the shield around her, before getting ready to attack again.

The granite man charged forward, both fists glowing. Bringing them together, he launched a full energy blast at them.

The two ladies quickly dodged, neither one of them powerful enough to block such an attack.

He was on them in moments, smashing Mary across the face. As she hit the ground, a nice burn appearing on her face, he began battering Sloane's defenses. With one powerful blow, he broke through, folding her up like an accordion. With a powerful bellow of victory, he picked her up, and bodily threw her across the room.

Mary quickly jumped on him, ignoring the pain as his body burned her exposed skin as she rammed her elbow into the back of his neck repeatedly. He responded by grabbing her by the back of her head, and throwing her next to Sloane. His arms charged up, launching at roughly the speed of sound.

Mary quickly shoved Sloane out of the way, rolling in the other direction. She came up to one knee, bringing every ounce of Force energy to bear.

Nukem was powering up again when a massive _something_ slammed into him. He was thrown through the stairs. Exhausted, Mary dropped her hand.

The second she did that, Nukem charged out of the hole he had helped make, looking decidedly angrier than before. "You're really that 'fight to the bitter end' mentality, aren't you, lady?" he snarled, stomping towards her. "You just used up that power of yours, your weapon is useless, and I'm still standing. I've won."

"There's just one problem with your theory."

The nuclear weapon turned around, seeing Qui Gon Jinn standing there, holding up the lightsaber. "Oh yeah? What?"

Qui Gon, in a move too fast for Nukem to see, drove the sky blue blade right through his torso. The blade emerged from his back, burning the shirt. He looked down, then at the Jedi Knight, shocked beyond words.

Qui Gon grinned back humorlessly. "The lightsabers of old could recharge on their own ' he explained. "Mary distracted you, while I snuck up from behind." He deactivated he blade, stepping back. "And it's obvious that you can only absorb energy when you're holding it in your hand."  
Nukem looked at him, then at the hole in his chest, and back at him again. "Damn... I can't even meltdown," he said, before pitching forward, hitting the ground with a resounding thud.

Sloane slowly stood up, looking at the corpse for a moment. "I... I... How did you know?" she asked after a moment.

Mary shrugged as she sat up, rubbing her arm fretfully. "The Force always works in mysterious ways," she replied, nodding to Qui Gon. "I suspected that Qui Gon had managed to survive, despite the fact that he was not down here with you, fighting. I sensed him coming down the fire escape, and so knew that he would not be seen. The rest was up to the will of the Force."

Qui Gon waited until Mary had stood up fully, handing her the lightsaber back. "Mine has been depleted," he explained, "and unlike yours, mine doesn't recharge."

Mary nodded. "Let's go get it, and replace the crystal. I have found that a diamond, the size of one you would find in the most expensive jewelry, make the best power sources for a lightsaber. I have a few still with me." She winked. "I always carry a few around with me in case of an emergency."

Sloane grinned as she sent a message to Gaia, letting her know that Nukem had been neutralized, and that the local police needed to be notified.

As that happened, though, her eyes caught something emerging from Nukem's corpse, floating upwards. "Mary," she called out, pointing at the phenomenon.

Mary looked up, the Force blaring out a warning. "He is ascending!" she shouted.

Sloane's eyes widened as the powerful energy tendril reached the ceiling, and slid through it. Of all of the things he had been expecting, this was not it.

There, where a body once lay, only a Hawaiian shirt with a hole in it was all that remained. It was a bit chilling, when one thought about it.

Qui Gon stared at the shirt, before looking up. "How?"

Sloane rubbed her eyes, feeling a tension headache starting. "He must have acquired enough energy to ascend," she replied, the mere thought enough to send tendrils of fear rushing through her system. "He had to have known that, otherwise he would have waited until he had learned everything he could about his new power." She and Mary traded a look of understanding.

They had managed to stop him here, on Earth… but how were they going to be able to fight him on another plain of existence? They won the battle, but they may have lost the war.

* * *

Blight's eyebrow climbed up slightly as Nukem's energy suddenly split into two different signatures. One started its massive journey to Hope Island, and to the massive energy collectors she had installed, while the other went to the heavens. "Well, well, well... he is powerful enough to ascend," she murmured. "The Ancients are going to love that little detail when he gets up there." She sat back, watching the screens. "Sloane hasn't lost her edge, and neither has that Jedi bitch. I'm going to have to have a word with them soon."

MAL suddenly came onto one screen. "Doctor, it looks like we're ahead of schedule. The Goa'uld are requesting an early offensive on Earth."

Her gaze shifted slightly. "Tell them that we cannot hope to win such a fight now, especially with the two Guardian's on Hope Island. Tell them to start sending troops to Realm 4590 instead, and start their extermination of the people there."

"As you wish, Doctor."

* * *

Ma-Ti was becoming extremely suspicious. The corridors were completely devoid of people, and there were security alarms activating. Unless they were so arrogant that they thought their base couldn't be breached, then the feeling of a trap was becoming far more likely.

But then, why hadn't they sprung it yet. They had had quite a number of times to catch them, and yet they hadn't done so. What as the holdup?"

Laura kept track of the doors as they past each one. "Here it is," she said, pointing at one in question.

The more experienced Planeteer leaned in for a closer look, before agreeing with her on that. He could sense the presence of the dark rat within the confines. "Well, let us see what trap they have constructed for us. Perhaps we will get lucky, and they will underestimate us."

Laura brought her hand up, ring glowing. Ma-Ti pressed the panel next to the door, unlocking and opening it. They were through in a moment's notice.

The interior was just as they thought it would be; a rat's paradise. There was litter on the floor, a plate of cheese sitting on a small table. The bed was plain, and obviously worn in several areas, revealing the springs. Only one piece of high tech equipment was in the room, and that was a computer terminal.

And there was Skumm, staring at them with an air of superiority about him. "What took you two eco freaks so long?" he asked. "I've been waiting two hours."

Laura walked around him, keeping her ring trained on him at all times. "We got lost," she replied. "It's preferable to being locked up, waiting for the execution."

Ma-Ti walked over to him, glaring at him. "What are you doing here?" he asked after a moment. "How long have you been working for Sakar?"

The Agent shrugged his shoulders, teeth glinting in the dim light. "I have served Lord Sakar for over fifty years. He gave me the means to fight against the forces of Fire and Wind. My expertise with genetics made me the perfect rat to augment the Agent's already formidable abilities to nearly unbeatable status." His eyes gleamed in the darkness with an unnatural light. "Every experiment I have done, was done with the soul intent of creating a super army, one that would plunger this world into darkness forevermore!"  
It confirmed something that the two of them were of one mind of. Verminus Skumm was insane, completely insane. His grip on reality was as tenuous as Sakar's had been. "Your experiment's end here," Ma-Ti replied.

"Actually, my greatest experiment is already reaching its conclusion." With a mere flick of his wrist, Skumm suddenly went airborne, landing behind the Planeteer.

Just as a powerful energy wave slammed into his chest.

Ma-Ti was thrown back, the air knocked out of his lungs... only to feel Skumm's hand slam into the back of his head. He hit the ground hard on his face, knocked out almost immediately.

Laura brought her ring around, aiming into the darkness. A staff weapon came out of nowhere, tripping her. With a grunt, she hit the ground, her ring hand suddenly stepped on.

Hathor emerged from the shadows, smiling slightly. "We were well aware of your movements, Tauri," she said, adjusting her dress. "Your arrival was anticipated, in fact." The door opened, admitting several Agents and Jaffa, their weapons out and ready. "So we decided to let you come here."

Skumm grinned, gesturing for a female Agent to step forward. "Take Ma-Ti to the dungeon. I want Miss Talbot taken to the Waiting Room. I have someone I want her to meet."

"Yes, Sir." The Agent grabbed Ma-Ti, throwing him over her shoulder, and walking out. Meanwhile, two Jaffa each grabbed one of Laura's arms, and hauled her up, dragging her out.

Skumm grinned at Hathor. "All preparations are complete. Prepare to send the signal up to the fleet. Tell them... tell them that it is time to move."

"With pleasure."

* * *

Ma-Ti groaned as he came to, his head bouncing off someone's shoulder. For a second, he was confused. Why was he bouncing off someone's shoulder?

Almost immediately, the last few minutes came rushing back to him. Laura was in danger! He had to help her!"  
"Stop struggling, Ma-Ti!" a voice hissed. "Do you want to get shot by those loyal to the Death Dealer?"

Instantly, his struggles stopped as confusion gripped him. What the hell was going on? Wasn't this woman loyal to Sakar?

The woman, dressed In Agent attire, was aware of his confusion, but said nothing. Instead, she turned a corner, quickly opening one particular door in question, and entering. Once inside, and after the door closed behind them, she dumped the young man onto the floor. "Geez, you're heavier than I thought. Couldn't you even think about losing a bit of weight?"

"It is all muscles," Ma-Ti replied, righting himself. "Now, not to sound ungrateful or anything, but who are you, and why are you here?"

"My name is Guardian Venus, and I'm here to help you take down Verminus Skumm once and for all."

* * *

Well, here is Chapter Twenty Five. The battle against Skumm will take quite a bit of time. In the meantime, I'll bring the story to the Stargate, as I bring… an old friend of Carter's into the story. So please keep reading. The identity of the one who spoke up before Wheeler and his crew is a mystery until the next chapter.

Alright then… Guardian Venus is another character created by Akalon. Also, I have been devoting a great deal of time towards the book I hope to get published, so updates for this story will be somewhat slower than usual. Please everyone, review this story, as well as my others. Let me know what you think.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty Six

"Guardian Venus?" Ma-Ti echoed, staring at the woman in question. "You're a Guardian?"  
Venus shook her head. "Not in the traditional sense," she replied, as her Agent suit vanished, revealing yellow battle armor with silver trim. "I am actually the wife of the protector of the Balance. When I heard of what had been happening, I came here to try and undermine Skumm before he could put his plans into action. Unfortunately, he had already implemented them by the time I got here."

The Heart Planeteer rubbed his head, feeling the bump that was already forming. He had never really liked Skumm, not only because of his personal experiences, but because of what he had done over the years to the planet. Now his dislike had blossomed to a rather unhealthy level. "So even if we defeat him, we will still have a problem."

"Pretty much."

"Wonderful. Well, you know the layout of this fortress better than I do. Where would they take Laura."  
Venus frowned thoughtfully. "They'll probably take her to a waiting room of some kind, complete with various security measures to prevent the prisoner from escaping."

"How many?"

"Just one, but it's at the very bottom of this base."  
Ma-Ti gestured. "After you, then."

* * *

Trip shot up in shock, his gaze locked on the _last_ person he thought he would ever see here. "S-S-Sis?!" he blurted.

T-Pol's own eyes widened as he said this. Although she had known he had family, and that his sister had died in the Xindi attack, he had never shown her any pictures of her.

Elizabeth Tucker walked up to them, smiling. "In a sense," she replied. "I am actually her spiritual energy, given form. I'm here to help you with the second part of the Trial."

All four of them were more alert at that statement. This could be what they had been waiting for some sort of sign that they were going in the right direction. Though, with everything they had gone through, Commander Tucker's dead younger sister was not exactly what they had been expecting to appear.

T-Pol stood up, walking around the being. "I can sense a presence, but it's not solid."

"Correct. It's like I said, I am a spirit. A manifestation of spiritual energy." She grinned. "Different from what you're used to dealing with, but something you can handle with relative success, don't you agree, brother?"

Sighing, the Chief Engineer had to concede that. "I don't get it. How did you do this."  
Lizzy smiled apologetically. "I cheated."

"Even in death, you can't play by the rules."

"You're no better, Trip. Or do I have to remind you of the three garden snakes you used to help you win against Morgan Freschchild in second grade?"

"Touché'."

Linka relaxed, seeing that this apparition wasn't going to try and kill them. "Well, it is certainly good to meet you, Miss Tucker," she said. "Now, you mentioned that you are here to show us the next part of our trial."  
"Exactly. As you're probably guessing, for you and Wheeler here to become Guardians, each of you have to solve a puzzle that has been created. For T-Pol, it was seeing the pattern within chaos."

"The cave entrance," T-Pol murmured.

Lizzie's smile didn't waver in the slightest. "Exactly. Each of you has a test that's your alone. I'll show to the second one right now, in fact."

Wheeler nodded. "Great idea. Lead the way." He stood up, taking Linka's hand. "I wonder whose next," he whispered.

Linka grinned. "I think that the answer is pretty obvious," she replied.

* * *

Carter looked up to see Hoshi enter, followed by Captain Anderson. "So, how was last night?" she asked, getting up.

Hoshi blushed lightly. "It was fine," she replied steadily, the consummate Starfleet officer, while Anderson managed to keep his blush under control. "Anyway, how's the grid coming?"

"Works like a charm. We'll be able to coordinate with the entire planet now." Carter grinned. "You are a genius, Hoshi."

This praise from someone who worked with alien technology everyday caught her by surprise. "Thank you." She suddenly came up with a crazy idea. "How about tonight, we go-?"

"Excuse me, Captain Carter."

The Air Force captain turned around as a Lieutenant walked up to her. "What is it?"

The Lieutenant handed her a folder. "There's a message from Stargate Command. You need to return immediately."

Carter turned to Anderson and Hoshi, confusion plain on her face. What could be going on?

As it turns out, nothing good.

* * *

Archer turned around as O'Neill and Daniel entered the Briefing Room. "You too, huh?" he asked.

"Yeah. Hate that, especially now." Daniel sat down. "What's going on, General?"

Hammond held up a hand, stopping any other questions from being asked. "I want Carter and Teal'c here, too."  
As soon as he said this, the door opened again, revealing their resident Jaffa warrior, and Carter, who looked like she was checking herself over. "What is the mission?" he asked.

Hammond sighed, leaning forward. "Several moments ago, we received an inter-dimensional wormhole. There was nothing akin to a military strike accompanying it... but we did receive a message." He took a breath. "It was on an old U.S. army frequency used during the Korean War."

Carter looked up. "Korea? Then, how are they contacting us?"  
"Listen, then give me your input."

The whole group leaned forward, waiting for the message to come through.

"...This is MASH 4077... contacting whoever's on the other side of this thing... we require that you send Samantha Carter immediately. ... ...Request has come from Captain Benjamin Pierce. Patient here that isn't completely human. ...Repeat..."

Hammond ended the transmission. "Now you know why I called you here, Captain," he said.

Sam nodded, unable to believe it. "So, he's in the Army on his realm," she murmured. "MASH is a mobile hospital, if I'm not mistaken."

"You remember your military phrasing correctly. It's a Mobile Army Service Hospital, designed for quick movement due to changes at the frontline."

Teal'c frowned. "Was there anything special about this 4077?"

Sam nodded. "It was the focal point for an eleven season television series here on Earth. It was set during the Korean War." She frowned. "We're going?"

"You leave in one hour, Captain. Colonel, I want you to assess the situation there. With their Gate open..."

"They're vulnerable to attack," Jack finished. "Scout out the situation, then act. Got it."

Hammond nodded. "As an added bonus, I'm sending Doctor Fraiser with you." He stood up. "Dismissed."

* * *

Laura suddenly jolted awake as she slammed into a wall rather uncomfortably. Moaning in pain, she rubbed her head as she stood up, assessing her surroundings. "Wonderful," she muttered. "A glorified prison cell. Just perfect."

Deciding that she should try to find a way to escape, she first looked around, searching for a grate. She found one, though it was only large enough to allow air in. Discarding that idea, she continued her search. She checked her hand, just be sure. _'No ring,'_ she thought, knowing that they wouldn't have let her keep it. Which meant she was probably here for the long haul.

As she thought this, the door suddenly opened. Turning around, she met the gaze of Hathor as she entered, barely restraining herself from attacking the System Lord.

Hathor, on the other hand, smiled as she set her gaze on the Heart Planeteer. "Laura Talbot," she said in greeting, noting everything on the young human woman. "We paid a visit to your ranch. You weren't home."

"Was off visiting friends, if Blight had told you," Laura replied angrily.

"Yes, of course. So, I decided to leave your father a message to you." She smirked at the Heart Planeteer's rage filled gaze. "I see that you got it."

"When I get out of here, I'm going to remove from the SGC's collective side."

"I'm sure you will try. However, that is not why I am here." Hathor gestured behind her. "I have someone I want you to meet."  
A powerful built Jaffa appeared in front of them both, his helmet closed over his head. At his Mistress's command, he disengaged the lock, allowing it to fold back, revealing a scarred face, the gold symbol of Hathor dominant on his forehead.

Hathor allowed Laura to memorize his face, before saying, "This is my First Prime, Rynok. He was the one who handled the interrogation, and execution, of your father." The look of fury increased at those words. "He will be handling yours, as well... but not now." The Goa'uld's grin grew in triumph. "We have been aware of your movements since day one. The wolves who were keeping an eye on you? They were under my control. An implant was inserted into their brains, which remained activated until you left your home. We would have killed you then, but the Sunak decided to try first."

Laura grinned fiercely. "Yeah... too bad." She had been shocked by how callously this creature had spoken about the implanting of computer chips into innocent animals, but that was just another reason to stop Skumm and Blight.

"Fortunately for you, we will not begin until much later... when we have conquered this planet. Until then, I bid you farewell." Laughing, Hathor stepped back through the door, her First Prime right behind her.

Laura lunged forward, ready to strangle the woman, but was halted by the now closed doors Growling, she kicked it, which turned out, as anyone can tell you about heavy steel doors, to be a very bad idea.

Hopping around for a second, the Heart Planeteer conceded that she was in a great deal more trouble than she thought.

* * *

"So, you are actually the ghost of Elizabeth Tucker," Linka said, amazed. "_Boshi Moi_, and here I thought spirits were the only supernatural power out there."  
"Actually, ghost isn't a strong enough word," Lizzie replied. "I am... a representative, created in response to my brother's continued grief... and the mystical properties of this place. I'm a guide for you, Trip."

"For what?" Trip asked. "My hatred for what the Xindi took from our family?"

"Actually... that's part of it. The other part is the fact that the reasons behind the attack have not been made clear to you and the rest of the _Enterprise_ crew."

"So we're going back to our realm?" T-Pol asked. "So we can learn why Earth was attacked, as well as help Trip manage his rage."

"Basically. It's not as simple as it sounds, I know, but that's all there is to it. Except for one thing... he's the only one whose going." She finally stopped at one entrance. "Here is where we will enter. There'll be a feeling of disorientation, but other than that, we'll be fine. But a word of caution." At this, the younger Tucker stared at them all. "Only Trip will be able to see me, so be careful what you say. Understand?" Trip hesitated, before he nodded. "Okay, let's go."

T-Pol put a hand on his arm, squeezing it in reassurance. "Be careful," was all she said, but it was enough.

He nodded. "I will, and I'll be back... I promise." With that, he stepped through the opening, disappearing into the darkness.

Quite possibly as they all knew, never to be seen again.

**

* * *

Realm 1905**

The MASH 4077 was considered one of the best army hospitals in operation in Korea. It possessed one of best success rates when it came to keeping soldier's alive, as well as a reputation for developing several new innovative surgeries when there wasn't even a hope of a prayer.

They were also the most unmilitary encampment ever conceived. The doctors there were mavericks, who were prone to practical jokes, being very insulting to I-Corp's resident moron, and various difficulties that were best left unsaid.

It was also now the proud owner of its very own Stargate, which they had found by chance and, with the help of the local village, dug out.

Benjamin 'Hawkeye' Pierce observed the device for a moment longer, watching the rippling maw deposit a group of Air Force personnel before deactivating. "Sam, you have certainly grown. I remember when you were a skinny kid."

"You weren't any different," Sam replied, quickly embracing him. "You, an Army Captain, Hawkeye? I thought you hated the military."

"I didn't read the fine print on the draft notice."

Daniel winced. "Sorry to hear that."

"Yeah, so was I. But now I get to play with an alien portal." Hawkeye grinned, eyes alight with mischief for a second. "Anyways, I've got someone here that's right up your alley, Sammie. The second we got this thing up and the Dialing Device connected, it activated, and a young woman with a third degree burn on her right shoulder stumbled out of it, collapsing immediately. She's stable, but she was asking for help to save SG-1."

Jack blinked. "Okay, Captain… let me see if I heard you right. To 'save' SG-1?"

"That's what she said."

"So where is this woman?" Teal'c asked, having been silent until that moment.

Hawkeye's gaze landed on him, taking in the symbol on his head. "Jaffa, huh? Well, she's in Post Op, being interrogated by Colonel Flagg, so she'll be frustrating him rather well."  
Sam looked at her old friend. "Did she say who she was?" she asked.

Hawkeye shook his head. "She didn't… not to me at least. Maybe Radar knows. He talked to her more than any of us."

Janet rolled her eyes heavenward. "Let me guess. She actually answered him, but not the rest of you."

"Exactly."

"Good taste in people," Sam commented.

"When did you become cynical?"

"Our planet's on the verge of being attacked from several different beings in a week. I have a right to be cynical. Can we see the woman, now?"

"Sure. Oh, yeah. I hate guns."

"I don't care. Now."

* * *

**Realm 2**

"So... Wheeler has actually met this Timelord Akalon," Ma-Ti said slowly. "And he is the one who makes sure destiny stays on course."

"Yes. If destiny does not go as it is supposed to, multiple realms would start resonating, falling apart. Existence would be thrown into chaos." Venus sighed. "It's an often thankless job, and he has to be extremely hardnosed sometimes, but he really is a sweet guy."

"I always thought that we had a choice as to what we could become."

"Oh, the choices you make are yours, so long as you reach that destiny."

Ma-Ti nodded. "So evil wants to render him powerless, so that destiny will be destroyed."  
"Exactly."

"Where do the Planeteers fall into this? We were not warriors, we were environmentalists."

Venus shrugged. "Revenge, because of your association with Wheeler and Linka. Your group has caused more damage to the forces of Sakar than any team before you."

"Oh... I see."

He didn't, but Venus didn't call him on it. "We're going to have to turn down this hallway," she said. "It will lead directly to the stairwell we'll take to Miss Talbot's present location. Hopefully, there won't be any guards to take down."

"That is very reassuring." Ma-Ti frowned. "I do not fully understand how the Goa'uld come into play here. Why are they even here, on Earth?"

"It's probably due to the SGC. Other than that, I'm in the dark as much as you."

"Colonel O'Neill will be happy to hear that."

"I'm sure he will."

"Ladies first."

* * *

Skumm observed the entire area with an air of satisfaction. Agents and Jaffa were making for the transports, ready for their final journey towards victory. More than a thousand warriors would soon be heading for North America, joining the nine thousand already amassing in the Caribbean. From there... they would march for Hope Island, and the ultimate prize.

Hathor smiled as she joined him, eyes upon the army before them. "A thousand troops," she whispered. "A mere fraction of the strength that we will bring down upon the Tauri within a few short days."

"Perhaps," Skumm replied.

"You doubt the victory of the Agents?"

"I doubt the victory of the Jaffa. They are starting to question their loyalty towards you and the rest of the Goa'uld System Lords." His fangs emerged as he smiled. "Soon, you'll most likely lose your control over them for eternity"

"Unlikely. We have survived for more than five thousand years with our technology. With the new advances to our sarcophaguses, we can restore our human bodies to a natural lifespan by just entering it once. Now we are truly gods."

"Oh please! Gods don't require technology to extend their lives."

"Perhaps, but the Jaffa do not know that."

"... You raise an excellent point." Skumm's thought's turned to someone else. "What did you think about Laura's reaction?" he asked.

Hathor grinned, eyes glowing gold for a moment. "I think she liked it... a great deal," she replied, twirling a red colored strand between her fingers. "She will either make an excellent Agent... or an excellent host."

Their amusement was cut short when one of Skumm's 'rats' appeared, breathing hard. "Boss... sorry to... interrupt... your fun... but... Ma-Ti's escaped."

"What?!" Skumm swiftly grabbed the rat by his throat, lifting him up. Almost a second later, he dropped him, realization entering his mind. "One of the Timelord's friend's has decided to show up." He looked down at the sniveling creature at his feet. "Order all patrols to locate the intruder. The Planet Pest will most likely be with whoever it is. Kill them both if you have to, but do not let them find her." He turned to Hathor. "A slight change in plans. We're going to have to go through with the experiment immediately."

"Agreed," the Goa'uld replied. "First Prime, take two Jaffa with you, and collect our guest. Make sure she is... prepared accordingly."

The Jaffa bowed. "Yes, Milady." He turned around and made for the chamber.

Hathor frowned, knowing that her First Prime would not succumb to Laura Talbot's abilities. He possessed the unique ability to shield his mind from a psychic attack. Even if the other two were overwhelmed, he would still be able to carry out his assignment. And he would do without hesitation.

For as long as she could remember, the Goa'uld had been trying to create the perfect host body. The _harsesis_ however, proved to be too uncontrollable, though Herruror was rumored to have pulled it off. Nerriti, on the other hand, had a different idea; genetically engineering a host body so that it would become inherently superior. That failed as well.

It was Aphohis, who had come to them all with the idea of an alliance with Sakar, who had come up with a solution. Instead of trying to enhance a human body with powers, why not simply infest someone who had them already? Ma-Ti and Laura were the perfect guinea pigs for this.

But that wouldn't happen if they didn't have them under their control now. One of them was expendable. The other was not.

And if they managed to escape, they would be able to alert the world of this place. The world governments would send people in to finish them off once and for all. Besides, the System Lords would not tolerate failure.

And neither would Beryl and Ghaleon.

* * *

**Realm 1905**

The interior of the 4077 Post Op was pretty much like any army field hospital; a line of bed in two rows, with an aisle down the middle. This allowed the doctors to check on each of their patients.

However, it also allowed the more unsavory aspects of the military to come in, and bug the living hell out of everyone.

"Look, I don't care if Captain Pierce can vouch for you," Colonel Flagg said, his eyes nearly closed in irritation. "You are not from the United States or its allies, and that means you can't be trusted. I want to know when the invasion is, and I want to know now."

The woman in question sighed, trying to figure out exactly how intelligent people were in Earth's past. _'It's amazing they managed to make it out of their Dark Ages at all, if people like this man can reach the rank of colonel.'_ Out loud, she said, "I've said it once, and I'll say it again. I am not an agent here to destroy you. I need help to save SG-1. Why won't you believe that?"

"Because of the fact that there is no such thing as aliens, and alternate realms. Now I'm only going to ask you one more time…"

"Perhaps, Colonel, you should leave the young lady alone," another voice stated. "She is still a patient, and I would remind you that I can and will find another way to humiliate you, like last time."

Flagg turned around. "Winchester, you stay out of this. I'm interrogating a prisoner."

"No, you are disrupting the patients. So read my lips… scram."

The Colonel turned to glare at the man in question, before getting up, and making for the door, ignoring Margaret Hoolihan as he passed her.

Major Charles M Winchester sighed as he turned to the young woman. "You'll have to forgive the nincompoop," he said. "He has recently discovered opposable thumbs, and is eager to remove them from others."

The woman smiled, tucking a lock of raven black hair behind over her ear. "It's quite all right, Major. I just keep wondering how a buffoon like that managed to reach the rank of colonel."

Margaret grinned. "The same reason why the person that Major Winchester replaced was promoted… the Army, in all of its infinite wisdom, decided that it was a good idea."

"Oooh… I'm sorry to hear that."

"Anyways, I've been meaning to ask you… what's your name?"

The woman smiled. "I'll wait until that help comes to tell you. I like to do introductions when everyone is here."

"Oh... okay."

* * *

**Realm 2**

Laura looked up as the door began to open, looking for a weapon to use. She knew why they were here; they had changed their minds about when they were going to experiment on her now.

The door slid open, a sliver of outside light appearing, to reveal a woman she had never seen before, decked in obviously alien garb...

... and Ma-Ti.

With a slight cry of joy, the newest Planeteer threw herself into his arms, kissing him fiercely. "How'd you... it doesn't matter!" she exclaimed. "I'm so glad to see you alive!"

"And I, you, my Love," Ma-Ti replied quietly.

"They've got my ring!"

"I know. I know where it is as well. We came to get you before we went after it." He gestured to the woman next to him. "This is Guardian Venus. She was undercover here, trying to disrupt their infrastructure."

"Unfortunately, by the time I arrived here, Sakar has already forged an alliance with the Goa'uld, and joined the Deadly Alliance. There was nothing left for me to do, but at the same time, I couldn't manage an escape without them knowing."

Laura nodded in understanding. "Well, I'm glad you're here. Where's my ring?"

"Several floors up, in Skumm's quarters. I guess he wanted a trophy."

Ma-Ti turned. "We will get the ring. Can you go and distract them for a while?"

Venus's smile grew wicked. "Oh, yes I can. In fact, I've planted a few bombs that can do that quite nicely."

"Good. Laura, are you ready to go into the Rat's Nest again?"

"You bet!"

* * *

**Realm 1905**

Colonel Sherman Potter looked at the latest reports concerning their newest patient, and groaned heavily. "Bullocks. Those Army general have their priorities in a twist. Radar!"  
Radar O'Reilly, who had already been waiting for him to call, came in. "I've got Major Bennett on the line, Sir," he said immediately, having intuited what his commanding officer wanted. "I've also finished up the last of the paperwork."

Potter nodded. "Thanks, Radar. Also, I want to see... you must be Samantha Carter."

Sam nodded, smiling slightly. "A pleasure, sir." She stepped into his office, the rest of the them following close behind. "This is Colonel Jack O'Neill, Doctor Daniel Jackson, Teal'c, and Doctor Janet Fraiser."

"Well, I guess you're all here to see our alien friend, huh?"

Jack nodded. "I figured that'd be a good start. How is she?"

"Well, we managed to disinfect the wound, and she knitted rather well. Craziest thing I've ever seen. For the first few days, she was on her back, but now... it's like she was never injured in the first place."

Janet nodded. "I'd like to check her vitals, if you don't mind. If she has regenerative abilities that can heal a third degree burn, then there was another force at work here."

"That's what I said," Hawkeye stated.

"Pierce, that's the reason why we let you _use_ that thing." Potter shook his head. "He like when you were younger?" he asked.

Sam grinned. "Womanizing, joking at all hours of the day, and insubordinate? ... He's relaxed a lot since those days."

"Geez, a pistol then, too?"

"I was more lovable back then."

"Oh really? Why?"  
Sam suddenly found the desk very interesting, as the Chief Surgeon simply grinned mysteriously.

Jack sighed. "There's a story behind this, and I'd love to hear it."

"No you wouldn't, sir."

Janet shook her head in amusement. "I'm going to leave you kids here alone for a few minutes. Colonel, could you show me where the patient is?"

Potter gestured. "Follow me."

----

Radar entered Post Op, smiling slightly. "Hello," he said, waving.

The woman looked up from her book, smiling. "Hello, Radar," she returned. "I wasn't expecting you back so soon."

"Well, I was just leaving, and I thought I should come say hi, and I have said hi..."

"... and you're babbling," she finished, as Margaret covered her mouth to hide the grin that was starting to emerge on her face.

"Well... I..."

"You have no idea what to say to members of the opposite sex."

"Yeah."

The woman's smile grew at the almost innocent expression on his face. "I can read your mind, Radar, even without using my powers." Her expression dimmed slightly. "I'm going to guess that there was another reason for your visit."

"Well, that help you were waiting for is here. I think they're calling themselves SG-1."

Her eyes conveyed her surprise and relief. "Then the best has arrived."

"Yeah, and they brought a doctor with them."

"Really?"

"Yes, really," Janet replied, entering the area. "So, you must be the one Colonel Potter told us about."  
The woman shrugged. "Guilty as charged. Who are you?"

"Doctor Janet Fraiser, CMO of Stargate Command."

She straightened up almost immediately. Doctor "Doctor. I'm… surprised."

"Well, I have quite a bit of experience with alien women… seeing as how my daughter's one." Janet turned to Radar. "Anywhere I can check her injuries without a male audience?"

"Ah, yeah. The X-Ray Room over there." He shrugged. "I can get a nurse if you'd like some help."

"Oh no, I think I'll be fine. And no peeking, Corporal."

The woman giggled at Radar's rather putdown expression. "I really have no problem with him watching me," she whispered.

"I do," Janet replied. "I find it extremely aggravating, in fact. So humor me."

"Oh, very well."

Radar pouted, but he dutifully left. At the same time, the two women made for the privacy of the X-Ray Room. Once inside, patient removed her shirt. "The third degree burn was just below my left shoulder blade," she said. "Doctor Hunnicut told me that it would take a number of months to heal completely."

Janet quickly checked the area in question, peeling the bandages away without so much of a wince from the other woman. "Well, it looks like your regenerative abilities have already repaired most of the damage. Your telepathic powers have also regenerated the nerve endings. You'll be ready to break necks in about three weeks."

"How did you know that I'm…?"

"You're not the only one with power, Madam. I'm surprised that you want to save your universe's SG-1."

The woman pulled her shirt on again, introspective. "Doctor, I want to save SG-1 because they're my mother's friends," she said. "That's all. I want to do it because… I want to prove to myself that I've really changed."

Janet grinned. "You're already well on your way. Now, I'm sure Colonel O'Neill and the rest of the merry crew are waiting to meet with you, so come on."

Indeed, Janet's assessment was correct. O'Neill's team was waiting in Potter's office, along with Hawkeye, Radar, Margaret, BJ Hunnicut, and Winchester, all of them looking very worried.

The woman sat down, looking at them all. "I guess it's time to tell you everything," she said. "The story is… out of this world, and I have no idea where to start."

"We're becoming used to that," Margaret replied. "So, how about you start at the beginning?"

She nodded. "My name… it's a name I was given by my mother. It was the greatest, and only gift to me before I was taken from her." She took a deep breath. "My name is Adria. I was the Emissary for a race of Ascended beings known as the Ori. This… this is how I changed my allegiances... and why I'm here."

* * *

Well, here is Chapter Twenty Six. Chapter Twenty Seven will continue Laura and Ma-Ti's battle against Skumm, and I'll try to do something for Archer and his crew, so stay tuned.

Well, there it is. Due to the woeful lack of Adria centered fanfictions out there, the next special will focus primarily on Adria and her journey. However, I'm not going to start it until I finish up this fic.


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

It became apparent that they had lost the element of surprise when the alarm went off, alerting the whole base as to their escape. Mentally shrugging to themselves, they continued on their way.

"Here it is!" Laura exclaimed, spotting the door in question. "Hopefully, that bastard left my ring in there!"

Ma-Ti nodded, his sense stretched out. "Agents and Jaffa are approaching from all sides. We must hurry if we are to complete this mission." He quickly accessed the door, opening it quickly and ushering his girlfriend in.

A Jaffa awaited them inside, his weapon ready. He quickly turned, bringing it up.

Laura was already moving. There wasn't even four feet between him and her, and thus no time for him to fire. So she slammed into him without any resistance, taking him down.

Ma-Ti frowned. "Laura."

"This is the one who killed my father," she replied immediately, barely restraining herself from killing the man. "Now I want to know why he did it."  
"But I did not, Laura Talbot," Rynok replied, not even struggling. If he did, they would not be able to stop him. "I was not even there. That was the other Rynok."

Laura growled. "Don't even lie!" she snarled, her hands starting to curl. Despite her words at the remains of her father's ranch, she was clearly looking for revenge.

"He isn't!" Ma-Ti suddenly exclaimed. "His emotions are of guilt, and worry! He is not the one!"  
Laura stood up almost immediately, surprised. To hear that coming from him was enough to wash away the surge of hatred that had emerged so suddenly. Confusion gripped her now, and she looked at the one she had just taken down. "But... Hathor... she said that you were responsible! You didn't say anything to defend yourself!"  
The Jaffa stood up, using his staff as a cane as he deactivated the headpiece, removing it completely to reveal a youthful face, one free of scars. In that moment, both Planeteers were treated to a rather disturbing sight; that of his forehead. Where there should have been a symbol, there was only seared skin. The image had been burned off.

In that moment, they realized just what was going on.

Rynok observed them for a moment. "I do what my Master tells me," he replied. "But I am not her First Prime. Once, I served Apophis, as Teal'c did. His betrayal of him gave my father hope that the time had come for all Jaffa to declare our freedom from false gods."

"So you are from Chulak."

"I am."

Laura went from surprised to sad. "Then you should know... that Chulak had been destroyed by Apophis and Sakar," she said.

"... I know. It was declared as punishment for the sho'va's treachery. Your ring is in that storage area, second drawer."

"Wonderful. Thank you." Laura turned around, opening one drawer in particular near Skumm's dresser, pulling out her ring. "I say we wreck their little operation here," she replied. "It probably won't stop the invasion, but it might give us some time to better prepare." She turned around. "Do you know where they are?"

"... They are in the docking bay, surrounded by their personal guard. You will not be able to get near them without my help."

"... ... Alright. At the moment, we have no choice but to trust you." Ma-Ti looked around. "Guardian Venus should be preparing her distractions by now. We should get going, before we are trapped."

Rynok nodded, heading for the door. Looking out, he checked the hallway. "There are no guards in the immediate vicinity," he reported, ready to fight nonetheless.

The three of them were out of the rat nest, running down the hallway.

Three Jaffa were at Skumm's door almost sixty seconds afterwards, doing a visual sweep of the area. They had been certain that the two Planeteers would be in here, hunting for the ring.

The second one's eyes landed on the open drawer, and cursed. "They have already been here," he said.

The lead one growled in his throat. "Alert Lady Hathor and Verminus Skumm immediately. The Heart Planeteers are free, and they have the ring again." His glare could cut glass easy. "Take us to full tactical alert. Order all Jaffa and Agents to stop them by any means necessary."

The other Jaffa nodded, heading out.

----

Archer sat down in his chair, going over the latest fleet deployments. The Asgard were nothing if not efficient, and numerous. An additional ten ships had arrived within the last hour, setting up formation around the planet. Twenty three ships now made up their defense fleet.

But they were facing off against a hundred and eight vessels, plus who knew how many fighters. Not to mention the fact that the Goa'uld were also preparing for an attack

He looked around the bridge, feeling the tug of loneliness. Hoshi was still on the surface, working on the communication grid with Captain Anderson. T-Pol and Trip were with Wheeler and Linka, helping them on their journey to become Guardians. Half of his Senior Staff was gone, just like that.

Handing the updated report to a yeoman, he stood up, beginning his usual circle around the bridge, trying to maintain a level of normality to his routine.

Malcolm looked up as Archer walked by, his expression pensive. "I'm sure they're fine, Captain," he said, accurately reading his present mood. "T-Pol was a subcommander of the Vulcan High Command, and Commander Tucker knows how to handle himself in any situation."

Archer shrugged, leaning against the tactical console. "We're in a situation that we've never been in before, Malcolm. Our most experienced personnel are off the ship, and we're only four days away from invasion." He turned around, looking at the science console, where Ensign Cheney was busy analyzing the Sunak weapon's signatures, and trying to find a way to counter them. "What's more, we're no closer to finding out how the Goa'uld destroyed Chulak."

Malcolm nodded. "Mister Potter was able to collect samples of the debris for analysis. Whatever hit it, was to the twelfth power."

Archer nodded, not surprised. What was surprising was that fact that the enemy was utilizing something with that power rating, when it was clearly beyond even their technological ability. "Sakar must have constructed the weapon, then gave it to the System Lords as a gift. If we could get our hands on the tactical readouts of this 'Death Star,' we could find a weakness, and exploit it."

"Well... I don't think they're just going to hand it over to us. And finding it is beyond the _Enterprise's_ present warp capability."

"I know. Still..."

Archer's next sentence was lost when Malcolm's console started beating. The Weapon's Officer looked down, confused. "What the... Captain, I'm picking up an energy surge about fifty feet from our present position. Coordinates..." His voice trailed off. "Sir, it's the exact location where we entered this universe."

Archer turned around. "Onscreen," he ordered, making for the center of the bridge.

The screen shifted until it put the area of space on for their viewing pleasure. And, lo and behold, it looked like it was fluxing.

Then, suddenly, as if a damn had burst, an explosion of energy rushed outward, creating a large hole in the space time continuum.

Archer turned towards Science. "Readings, Ensign?"

Cheney ran his scans, turning to the small screen. "Definitely a dimensional gateway of some sort," he said. "I need a Guardian up here."

"You rang?"

Archer jumped at the feminine voice at the back of the bridge. "Damn it, can you _not_ do that?" he demanded.

Potter grinned. "I love to surprise people. Now, what's the emergency?"

"We have a dimensional tear, and we'd like to know where it leads to."

"Hold on." The Guardian of Magic closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind. She seemed to look deep within herself, trying to call upon all of her power.

Abruptly, her eyes opened, pupils refocusing. "It leads to Realm 9002," she said after a moment. "It's not your universe, but an alternate one that is two hundred years into the future. And something is coming through."

"Polarize the Hull Plating! Charge Weapons! Go to Tactical Alert!"

Three Asgard warships approached the dimensional tear, weapons charged and ready to use. The last week had taught them all a very important lesson; that you had to be prepared for just anything that came your way.

----

A powerful rend in the fabric of space time caused a powerful white hole to open. There was no subspace shockwave, no destructive changes to the planet below. It was just a hole that was visible for about three seconds.

In those three seconds, a vessel exited the aperture, flying away from it under its own power. The second it had done so, the hole vanished. No muss, no fuss.

Archer stared at the screen for a second, surprised. The vessel in question was obviously more advanced, but it was designed with a familiar formation. Primary Hull, Secondary Hull, and two warp engines for optimal warp field balance. It was a formation that Zefram Cochrane had deployed in his first warp flight, and had discovered was even more efficient than the vulcan's own version.

Malcolm did a quick scan of the vessel. "Well, they have some sort of shield system up that blocks most of our scans," he reported, "but I can tell you that the ship is only 120 meters longer than _Enterprise_, and only twice the crew complement. Judging from the design, I'd say it's about two hundred years more advanced than us, as well."

"I gathered that, Malcolm," Archer replied dryly.

"Well, no need to be snotty, Sir."

Chuckling, the Captain settled back, watching as the Asgard vessels broke formation, returning to their original positions. Obviously, they had determined that this new vessel was not a threat.

The Communications Officers suddenly looked up as a beeping sound entered his communication device. "Captain, the vessel is hailing us. Audio only."

That clinched it. The other captain must be following standing orders to not allow their technology fall into the wrong hands, or to those of a more primitive society. "Open a channel." He stood up, adopting his Captain position. "This is Captain Jonathan Archer of the Starship _Enterprise_. To whom am I addressing?"

"_This is Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship _Voyager. _I need to ask you to downgrade your screen resolution by fifty percent, and erase and sensor scans you have taken of my ship."_

Archer smirked, all too used to female authority. There was a woman in charge of the entire Exploration Branch in his time, after all. "Obviously, by the Twenty Fourth Century, Starfleet's got some sort of Directive for dealing with primitive cultures," he stated. "Unfortunately, that can't happen. To do that, we would have to take the entire sensor grid offline for about six hours, and remove the hard drive from the main computer core for a complete wipe. We simply can't afford to at this time." A sudden thought occurred to him. "Captain Janeway, as you've probably already noticed, there is a fleet of alien warships that you've probably never seen before in orbit of Earth. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. Things aren't what they seem here." He turned around. "We need to meet, here on the _Enterprise_ if you want. There's a lot I need to tell you."

There was a pause on the other side. For a moment, Archer was afraid that his proposal was the wrong thing to do. But, after a moment, Janeway replied, _"I'll beam aboard in approximately half an hour."_

"I'll have the arrangements made."

"Voyager _out."_

Slumping slightly, staring at the ship on their screen right now, the Captain turned to Malcolm. "Make arrangements for them to beamed aboard in one hour."

Malcolm nodded. "Sir, this could be a trap," he said. "They could beam aboard and try to remove the images by force."

"They could have attacked us as well, but they didn't. Something tells me that while a lot will change in two hundred years, but showing proper respect to others isn't one of them." He stood up. "I'm going to freshen up, and try to remember how to be civil with time travelers."

Potter grinned. "Actually, Janeway isn't from your universe, so technically, she isn't from the future. She can't really do anything to you, Archer."

"There's a small comfort. Malcolm, you have the bridge."

----

Venus swiftly entered the main control center, where everything was. Her bo staff was out and ready.

The Agents within turned around as one, Zats out. Their fingers went for the trigger.

"_Lightning Bomb!_" she roared, beating them to the punch. From the end of her staff emerged a powerful blast of energy, electricity crackling along its length.

About twenty minutes later, ten Agents were dead, slumping over their consoles, smoke rising from their slightly cooked bodies.

The wife of Timelord Akalon quickly removed one of the bodies from his seat, before sitting down, typing in the commands that were necessary.

Almost immediately, systems across the base began to short circuit, or explode outright, Her sabotage had been successful, and completely undetectable. All she had had to do was weaken the various connections to wires or self contained power units so that when additional power was transferred through them, they would immediately break. An ingenious plan.

However, there was a reason why she was here, undercover... and it had everything to do with Realm 3401...

Samuel set his katana down, his eyes conveying every moment of his three billion years. "I don't know, Love," he replied tiredly. "All I know is what Reiko and Dooku had told us. With Edward dead, and the Barrington family forced to flee to Hogwarts, we're one step closer to chaos." He sat down. "I fear that my time as protector of destiny is coming to a close."  
The younger woman sat down next to him, understanding why he was worried. For eons, he and Alania, the First Guardian of Existence, were synonymous with the defense of the Balance. He, its destiny lines. She, the defense of reality itself, for neither could truly survive without the other. While Alania's duty afforded her with a level of flexibility, his was a rigid one, with no hope of compromise. With thirteen thousand universes comprising the Guardian Protectorate, he couldn't afford it. To learn that someone could be pulling the strings, manipulating destiny to his tune, was disturbing to hear.

"Ashlee," Samuel suddenly said, looking up. "As I am not going to be staying, I would like you to go and continue your efforts to force Skumm to abandon that old Guardian base. If you can, perhaps the Balance will stabilize enough to give Alania and her people a fighting chance. I will try to keep the destiny lines flowing correctly. This body has a good eighty years left before it burns out, so I have the time. If I fail..."

"I know, my dear. I know..."

Then her attention shifted to one of the computers in the room... and her eyes widened in horror. Whatever they had been doing, they had already done it.

They were already too late.

----

Archer tugged down on his uniform front, standing in front of the Transporter Bay, watching the transporter chief as he made one final adjustment. "Are you ready?" he asked.

The officer nodded. "Everything's ready on their side."

"Energize."

The officer manipulated his controls, before starting the process. Archer took a deep breath.

Slowly, energy collected on the platform before them, slowly taking shape and form. The power soon gave texture, revealing uniforms that were inherently different from his own, but were still the same.

Archer blinked, but managed to keep his composure. "Welcome aboard the _Enterprise,_ CaptainI'm Captain Archer. This is my Chief Tactical Officer, Lieutenant Malcolm Reed."

The woman, a classic beauty with auburn hair, a predominately black uniform with a red shoulder, smiled slightly. "I'm Captain Janeway. This is my First Officer, Commander Chakotay, and my Chief of Security, Lieutenant Commander Tuvok."

"Gentlemen."

"Sir," Chakotay said. Tuvok merely inclined his head in that way vulcans usually did when they didn't feel like talking to someone.

Archer quickly cleared his throat. "Well, I figured that Lieutenant Reed would show your officers around the ship, while we discuss the present situation."

Janeway nodded, not even smiling. It was obvious to him that she was curious, but that she also wanted to get this over with quickly. Stepping from the platform, she followed him down the corridor.

Leaving Malcolm with the two officers. He cleared his throat. "Well, this way, gentlemen," he said. "We'll start with Main Engineering, and work our way to the bridge."

Archer allowed Janeway to enter his Ready Room, mentally steeling himself for the conversation to come. He had a funny feeling that she wouldn't be open to reason easily.

Janeway sat down, expectant. "All right, Captain," she said stiffly. "Let's hear it."

Archer sat down, activating his console. "A week ago, we were in the Expanse... in our universe," he explained. "We had just placed a tracking beacon onto a Xindi ship, and were tracking it, when we encountered a tear in the fabric of reality. It pulled us in, and deposited us in orbit of this Earth... where an alien ship was busy using it as target practice." He sighed. "We've since learned that our being here was a deliberate act by some inter-dimensional coalition known as the Deadly Alliance." He leaned in. "We're a week away from an invasion that will wipe this planet out if we don't stop it."

"... This enemy..."

"They're called the Sunak. They're doing this... because of an excessively powerful being know as Sakar is present on Earth. He's responsible for countless acts of aggression against various species in this universe." Getting up, he gestured to Janeway to take his seat. "It'll be better if you examine our entries for yourself," he added.

The other captain frowned as she took his seat, looking over the various log entries and notes taken over the previous week, not mention what was to come. Her gaze shifted very little, as her mind focused on it with a scientist's fervor and an officer's intensity.

Archer stood behind her, watching her as she began reading about the various augmentations to their systems and weapons, and of their improved hull plating. He observed her as she made a brief summarization as to what had happened. He had a distinct feeling that she didn't know how to handle that.

At long last, Janeway sat back, her gaze pensive. Out of everything she had ever seen, this was definitely not it. And she had seen a great deal. "You've certainly had your hands full," she said, surprised.

Archer nodded. "By the end of the first week, our friend's upstairs had become more active in their fight. We've met a fairytale hero and heroine, as well as a government agency fighting the Goa'uld... not to mention a group of ecologists with command over the five elements of the planet."

"... I need to discuss this with my crew. I need their opinions on this situation before we do anything."

"I understand." He waited until she stood up, shaking her hand. "We'll wait."

Janeway nodded, before following Archer out.

----

Hathor glared at the Jaffa. "You mean to tell me that one of the Jaffa has helped the Tauri with their escape?!" she shrieked.

"I am afraid so, My Lady," her First Prime replied. "It seems that there is another, as well. A woman who was impersonating an Agent. She may be connected to the Timelord."

"Blast it! Make for the Command Center, immediately. She will have most likely cut off out security system!" She turned. "We must evacuate this entire facility!"  
Skumm turned to look at her, his eyes flinty. "Go then, Hathor. Flee from this place. I'm staying. My part in this plan is over, and I still have two Eco Freaks to kill." He turned. "Have all troops rendezvous at the appointed place. Smith will command them into battle." He started down the hall, making his way towards the place he had chosen as the Planeteers final battleground.

Laura brought her ring up, sensing danger approaching. "_Heart Psychic Wave!_" she intoned on instinct.

A wave of power erupted from her ring, her mental energy being focused into a visible shockwave. It was also very effective.

Three Jaffa warriors coming around the corner were suddenly knocked out, their minds temporarily overloaded. They hit the ground hard, eyes staring at nothing.

Ma-Ti nodded in amazement. "Most impressive, Laura," he said.

"Thanks."

Rynok looked around. "The area remains clear, for now," he said. "There will be others, though."

"We will have to avoid them. We can sense them approaching, which gives us the advantage." His eyes continued to sweep the area, trying to keep his focus on their objective; that of the moving pattern of Skumm.

Suddenly, as he watched, the pattern stopped, more than thirty feet away from their current position. Confused, he tried to figure out why.

Laura blinked once in surprise. "Every Agent and Jaffa in the facility's stopping their search... they're evacuating!"

"Except our target," Ma-Ti replied. "He is holding stationary about thirty feet from here." His eyes narrowed. "I think we know why. Venus's sabotage has been discovered."

"So they are evacuating," Rynok added.

"Well, we are close to our goal, so let us go and deal with him. That is what he wants, isn't it?"

"Agreed. Lead the way."

Ma-Ti nodded, starting down the hall, the other two right behind him, ready for what was to come.

For almost six minutes, the three warriors were silent, trying to come up with an idea as to how to face this menace. It was difficult, because they had had no idea what he was capable of. What advantages did his genetically enhanced body give him, besides superior strength and durability? Did he possess an animal's ability to sense danger?

Ma-Ti finally stopped, turning to their new Jaffa friend. "Are you ready?" he asked. "Are you ready to be like Teal'c and Bre-tac, and betray your 'Gods?' Because once you step through this door, and enter battle against Skumm, that is exactly what you will be doing."

Rynok frowned for a moment, knowing that the step he took, the decision he was making, was every bit as significant as Teal'c's, before staring at the Heart Planeteer with the same determination. "They are not my Gods," he said, feeling a great weight lift off of him. "Not anymore."

Laura smiled at the conviction in his tone, and knew that he would be an incredible ally in the fight against the forces of evil. "Well, come on!" she said. "We've got a rat to kill!"

"Agreed." The Jaffa pressed the panel, opening the door.

And, from within, a voice they all knew very well, said, "Welcome, Planeteers. I've been waiting for you."

----

Chakotay kept a bland stance as Reed showed them around the whole ship, though secretly, he was amazed. He had probably seen a life sized model of the vessel during his time at the Academy, and had run the holoprogram of the vessel, interacting with the people as if he were a part of their crew.

But this was no hologram. A hologram couldn't accurately duplicate the smells of a twenty second century starship, nor could it show the crew in all of its glory. Here, they were being shown a slice of history.

It left something to be desired.

"Shit!" a voice suddenly shouted from the upper area, as a puff of smoke emerged from the area. "The primary buffer's going crazy!"

Reed turned around, staring at his two guests. "I really hope neither of you have something that can cause this kind of damage," he said. "Otherwise, I'm going to have to hurt you."

Tuvok shook his head. "We do not." The First Officer saw that he seemed to take a slight step back, and could understand why. Malcolm Reed had been known for taking on Mako soldiers of the era. In the Twenty Fourth Century, he'd probably bend some of the instructors at Starfleet Academy over his knee.

"It's not sabotage," the crewman said. "I think it's just reacting to some of the new systems. We managed to upgrade the weapons, but I don't think we had the time to add the necessary buffer system down here."

"Probably a power feedback, then." Reed turned around. "Sorry about this, Sirs. We received some upgrades, but were forced to leave in a hurry before we could complete them. Apparently, this is one of those things that can't be done half assed." He turned back to him. "Well, can't you develop a jury rigged solution? Use the secondary buffer to compensate?"  
"I'm going to try that now, Sir. I'll let you know how it turns out."

Satisfied, the Security Chief turned around, observing Chakotay and Tuvok. "Well, I guess you'll probably want to see our sickbay next, so please follow me." No point of telling them that certain areas were off limits,

It wasn't like anything onboard the _Enterprise_ was a surprise to them, after all... except perhaps, the last part of their tour.

----

Skumm watched as the two Heart Planeteers and the rogue Jaffa all walked in, feeling nothing but a hint of impatience at this. If only they knew how much effort, how much time the Death Dealer had put into this operation. How he had managed to fool everyone that they were simply Eco-terrorists, and now, with Destiny and the Balance closing in on collapse, the effort they had gone through to destabilize the Sunak and Earth.

Yes, Ma-Ti and the traitor Jaffa would die. This much was certain. Laura would be broken by the death of her beloved, and easier to corrupt because of it. All he needed was something to entice her with.

But first... "I was beginning to think you two weren't going to get here, after all of the effort I put into clearing the way for you."

Ma-Ti nodded. "So we have noticed. Your evacuation order could have been a little louder."

"Honestly, if I wanted to make it easy for you, I would have evacuated this place ages ago. The fact is, I thought that we would have already infested you, Miss Talbot. Instead, I discover that we have a saboteur in our midst, so I decided to go to Plan B. It involves you two... dying." He made a gesture. "Your new found Jaffa friend, too."

Rynok brought his staff up, activating it almost immediately. "You shall die first, vermin!" he shouted, firing.

And hitting nothing.

Skumm, at the last possible moment, had ducked, moving like the creature he had emulated, and evading the blast completely. Quickly whirling around, his tail knocked the staff weapon out of the Jaffa's hand. Just like that, they were all weaponless.

Skumm straightened out, observing them again. "You really need to try something else."

For a moment, no one moved, as both sides waited for some sort of signal...

... Then all moved at once.

Laura felt the tension build all around them, knowing that time was slipping away. Taking Skumm down was akin to removing another thorn from their side once and for all.

At long last, she couldn't wait any longer, and charged forward, her powers converging the energy of her mind into a powerful blade. She lashed out hard, aiming to decapitate him.

Skumm's energy blade was already out, blocking the strike. He quickly kicked her, knocking her back twenty feet, before hitting Ma-Ti as he approached from the side.

Rynok, on the other hand, was far more dangerous. As a Jaffa, he was physically stronger than most other humans. He stood a chance of standing against Skumm.

He came in, using his staff as if it didn't possess the ability to fire energy blasts. He quickly blocked a downward strike, and pushed back, slamming one end of it into his adversaries face. A powerful lateral kick smashed into Skumm's gut, taking him down hard.

Skumm quickly stood up, his blade humming in sync with his glee. He licked his lips, and rat like teeth, before launching himself forward again, meeting Rynok head on. The Jaffa kept backing up as quickly as he could, hoping for an opening to strike back.

Ma-Ti gave him that opening as he charged forward, slamming into Skumm like a bull. Bringing the Agent done, he drove his fist forward, slamming it into Skumm's face repeatedly.

Skumm quickly brought his arm up, blocking the next blow before it could connect, before throwing the Heart Planeteer off, barely avoiding Rynok as he fired again. He lashed out with a clawed foot, smashing him back, and breaking his stave weapon in half. With a triumphant hiss, he laced his hands together, smashing the Jaffa in the face, knocking him back into the wall, before turning around.

Laura charged forward, her body uncoiling. She struck out hard, a right hook smashing across tough skin and bristle, surprising him. She kicked his knee, trying to break it, before bringing her hands down across his head, driving him to the floor.

Several seconds later, she went flying back several feet as Skumm smashed her with an uppercut. She hadn't even seen him move, and thus had had no time to defend.

Skumm worked his jaw for a moment, seeing the three fighters down for the count. A pity really. He had expected a better challenge than this. Where was their little helper?

The question was answered when the door was violently ripped off its hinges, revealing Venus, her eyes so cold, the planetary ice on Pluto would have stiff competition.

And right not, those eyes were focused primarily on Verminus Skumm.

The rat stared back at her, uncaring. "You've been a rather busy woman, haven't you?" he asked. "Your sabotage clearly went undetected, and now my base is defenseless."

"Part of my master strategy," Venus replied, stepping into the room, her staff up and ready. "I wonder if you are brave enough to face me. You seem to enjoy beating up those who aren't a match for you."

"You and your family are all washed up. Akalon can't even prevent us from destroying the balance anymore. Worf is dead, and so is the Beast. The Barrington's are no longer a direct threat to the Deadly Alliance!" His blade came up. "Now I'm going to make you extinct."

The two warriors moved as one, weapons flashing.

Laura opened her eyes, trying to focus them so she could see what was going on. As her vision cleared, she wished she hadn't.

Ma-Ti was struggling back to his feet, clutching his arm in pain. Her gaze shifted to Rynok, who was unconscious. Finally, she turned to Skumm, who was busy fighting Venus, their weapons moving so fast they were almost blurs. She couldn't even see where one of them ended, and the other began sometimes.

But she could sense them in her mind. Their mental energies clashed like bad colors, but they were also moving too fast for her. Almost as fast as thought.

As fast as thought… the answer was suddenly as plain as the nose on her face. She turned her attention to Ma-Ti, sending him a mental message, telling him her plan. Ma-Ti nodded, bringing his ring up. He knew what he needed to do.

Skumm knocked Venus back, before charging forward, his clawed hand reaching for her throat. "Time to die, Guardian!" he bellowed.

"You first!" Venus snarled, bringing her hands up. "_Holy Lightning!_"

A burst of pure white lightning lashed out, slamming into the Agent. He was pushed back.

Skumm quickly dug in, slowly stopping his backward trek. Hand's splayed out, he deflected the blast, before looking up, grinning. With that, he started forward, pushing the blast back.

Venus's eyes widened in shock. _'How is he doing this?!'_ she thought.

Skumm grinned as he advanced forward, enjoying the expression of fear that was appearing on her face. No one could stop the march of the Agents. No one.

"_Heart Mind Shock!"_

As he approached the Guardian, forcing her to halt her attack on him, and grabbed her by the throat, a powerful pain suddenly ripped through his head, causing his brain to start pulsing in pain. The pain steadily increased until he couldn't ignore it anymore, and he dropped Venus to the floor, clutching his head in agony.

Venus started gasping, drawing sweet oxygen into her lungs. She looked up to see Skumm staggering about, screeching sounds emerging from his throat that were his way of screaming. Confused, she tried to locate the source of his pain.

And found it.

Laura had managed to bring her arm up, pointing her ring at Skumm. She was sending out psychic waves of such power, that it was literally causing damage to his cerebral cortex. She had had no idea that Gaia had fully developed the final rings.

Fortunately, Laura had just given her the opening she needed. Her bo staff came up, power collecting at the tip. "_Thunder Bomb!_" she bellowed, putting as much power as she could into it, and launching it as quickly as possible.

Skumm, who was so distracted by pain that he couldn't defend himself, took the full force in the chest. Its power shot through his system, a level that not even his Agent enhanced body couldn't handle.

Under the combined fury of Guardian Venus and the two Heart Planeteers, Verminus Skumm exploded in a wave of energy. So much energy that his body vaporized, he didn't have a chance to regenerate anything.

Venus dropped to the ground, panting. "Wow," she got out. "That would have been a lot of shit."

Laura struggled to her feet, similarly fatigued. "Tell me about it. I think I have a migraine, and coughed up my spleen."

"I think that would have been mine," Ma-Ti groaned, reaching over to help Venus up. "At least he won't bother anyone ever again."

Venus sighed. "Unfortunately, the situation is more difficult than you realize." She supported herself on her staff. "We have a problem. Whatever Skumm was doing, he has already done it. Earth and Yggdrasil may be in danger."

Blight breathed in as her power increased again, feeling Skumm's abilities flow through her veins, becoming one with her. Another one had fallen… but he had completed his task. The Earth was one step closer to destruction. No matter that her patriots died.

Nothing could stop Sakar. Nothing.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

Trip blinked as he looked around, taking in his new surroundings. He literally had no idea where he was. "Where are we, Sis?" he asked.

Elizabeth stood next to him, observing the place they were in. "We're in the middle of the Xindi council hall," she explained. "More than three years ago. This is where they were given information that set them on their course." She started for the building. "Come on, Trip. The first meeting of their coalition is about to begin."

Trip, confused beyond measure, followed. "What's the reason for us being here?"

"... Well, in order for you to accept that this was out of your hands, and that the people responsible were fed misinformation."

"What?"

Elizabeth gestured to the building. "Everything will be made clear in there, big brother. Now come on." She phased through the building, not even touching the door.

Trip placed his hand on the wall, found out that he wasn't so lucky. So, steeling himself, he stepped through the open door. "You can walk through walls, but I can't," he grumbled. "How is that fair?"

"I'm dead. You're not. Sorry Trip, but I can't make you incorporeal. It never worked like that."

For some reason, that didn't make him feel any better.

* * *

Kwame, Gi, Skuld and Amara all looked up as Gaia exited the Crystal Chamber, her gaze pensive. "What is it?" the Water Planeteer asked.

The Spirit of Earth looked at Zarm. "We just received a report from Ma-Ti and Laura," she said immediately. "Verminus Skumm is dead. Unfortunately, Yggdrasil is going to have to do a full scale sensor sweep of their own grid. He apparently unleashed a powerful viral agent into their computer system."

Skuld's eyes widened. "How could he? That would mean that he has access to our security protocols! How could he get that?!"

"No one knows, but it's obvious he was given the latest updates."

Amara nodded. "The question the is; Who gave them to him?"

"Sakar, most likely," Kwame replied, rubbing his hand. "He would probably have ways to check in on his creators." He stood up, helping Gi up as well. "We will practice on our abilities. Skuld, could you work with your sister on locating the virus? It may help us in the end."

Amara, with nothing to do, made for where Keiichi and Mr. Darling were talking. She needed to talk to somebody who could appreciate cars and motorcycles as much as she did.

Mister Darling looked up as she approached, looking somewhat unnerved to see a young woman with such a boyish haircut, and such interests as racing. But, as this was a new age, he resolved not to voice his opinions on the matter.

Keiichi looked at her. "I guess we got another victory," he said.

Amara nodded, smiling slightly. "The good news is that Skumm is gone for good. The bad news is that he put a computer virus into Yggdrasil's computer system."

"...Well, that'll be a big problem, won't it?"

"Yeah. ... Keiichi, can I talk to you for a moment alone, please?"

Keiichi nodded, confused as to why. Everything was set on Hope Island. What could be troubling Amara? Deciding to find out, he followed the young woman.

Amara waited until they were out of earshot of Mister Darling, before turning around. "Did Belldandy tell us when she and Michelle were going to be back?" she asked.

Keiichi shook his head, comprehension dawning. "I haven't heard anything from her. In fact, I haven't heard anything since she informed us Bleak was dead."

She could understand that much, at least. Michelle was probably getting used to the fact that she was going to have to kill human beings in this conflict. And Belldandy, who was probably still dealing with her own issues concerning Sakar, was helping her. But still, it was unusual for her to stay out of contact for so long.

Belldandy, it seemed, was very much the same way, as Keiichi looked out at the ocean for a second. "We need to find them. It's not like either of them not to stay in contact."

"How, though? Gaia's busy scanning the planet, and the fleet's pretty tied down trying to find Blight. In short, we really don't have any way to get off the island."

"... I think I know a way."

* * *

Hell couldn't even begin to imagine what was going through the minds of the Xindi delegates. It was taking pretty much every ounce of their discipline not to kill each other on the spot.

Insectoids, Reptilians, Arboreal, and Primates all sat, or were near, a large table, all of them staring at one another distrustfully. They had good reason to. For centuries, their various sub species had been battling each other on and off. The fact that they were all here, and hadn't killed each other yet, was nothing short of a miracle.

Trip, who was hiding behind a large pillar, watched the whole thing. He couldn't do anything else, considering the fact that he didn't have his phase pistol on him.

Elizabeth stood next to him, a hand on his shoulder. "Relax, Trip," she said normally. "You need to witness this... to understand why things happened."

"This is comin' from you, Lizzie," Trip replied quietly. "Unlike you, I'm not invisible!"

"But you're Starfleet. Suck it up."

He chose not to dignify that with a response, instead focusing on the meeting that was taking place.

_"Why are we all here?" _The Insectoid finally clicked, patience at an end. _"We have been waiting here for more than twenty minutes."_

The Reptilian glared its cousin. "We're all angry, and impatient. When is this being supposed to get here?!"

The primate held up his hand. "Patience, brethren," he said, his deep voice at odds with his fellows. "The sphere builders told us that the information they have for us is vital to our survival."

"It had better be."

Trip turned to look at his sister. _Sphere builders? _he mouthed.

"They are a race of beings who live in an alternate plane, just below the Omnipotents," she explained. "No where near all powerful, they're just a hair above the El Aurians in terms of their manipulation of time. They've been cultivating the Xindi's favor for hundreds of years, using them as their means of settling in our plane of existence."

_Great. The people I hate are just as stupid as we are._

"Not stupid. Just blind."

_Gee, thanks._

Lizzie smirked. "Anytime. Now pay attention, because this is only going to be played once."

Trip was about to retort, when suddenly, a being appeared before the council. It was a strange creature, with pale yellow scaly skin, no facial hair, and exceedingly black eyes. In short, nothing physically impressive about them.

Trip had the distinct impression that they were far more dangerous than they let on.

"Guardian," the Primate Xindi said in greeting. "What information do you have for us that is so important?"  
The sphere builder stepped forward. "We have recently observed the various time lines that can be," he said, his voice somewhat flat, "and we have learned of something terrible. Something that will eventually prove the end of the Xindi." He appeared almost sorrowful as he said this. "In about four hundred years, a race of beings known as humans will invade your space. They will possess incredible technology, powerful enough to destroy entire planets."

Trip blinked, mouth dropping open in shock. _That_ was why they attacked? Because someone told them that humanity was a risk?

Lizzie turned to her brother, no smile on her face now. "Not what you were expecting?" she asked.

Shaking his head, the Chief Engineer didn't reply verbally. Instead, he watched as the Xindi members talked amongst each other, and wondered.

The Primate stood up, bringing silence to the room. He was obviously the spokesman for the council, and it showed in his stature. "These humans," he began. "If they are so dangerous, why have we not learned of them before? We would have know about such people in our travels."

"They are not indigenous to the Expanse. They hail from a planet called Earth, and have developed warp technology over the last hundred years." The sphere builder watched them all as they turned their full attention to him. "You must destroy them now. Otherwise, they will come, and destroy you all."

The reptilian stood up. "Then we should attack first!" he snarled. "Let them know that we know of them!"

"_It isn't that simple, General,"_ the Aquatic said. _"Guardian, can you tell us the exact circumstances around this alleged attack?"_

_"A fairly good question,"_ the Insectoid chirped. _"I'm with the Reptilian on his idea, but we wouldn't want to start a war against a force that achieved warp capability a mere century ago. We need to know who their allies are, what those allies are capable of."_

"Sadly, I do not. My powers are not that extensive. But I can assure you... whatever their motivation, they will come in force. And it will only take them four hundred years to do that."

Trip's scowl increased massively with each word spoken. He really wanted to know what the point was with that time frame.

"Patience, big brother," Lizzie said quietly. "I'll explain later."

The Arboreal stood up as well, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Guardian, this information is very important, and we thank you for it. But, perhaps we should send an emissary to them. Let them know that we're not a threat to them."

"Sadly, they will think otherwise. They are entirely without remorse, without conscious. They know only war and death." The creature speared the Arboreal with a penetrating gaze. "Are you prepared to try a negotiated peace with these monsters?"

The Primate held up his hands, making sure that everyone was silent for a few moments longer. "It's not a question of how much time, it's a question of what we can do. If these people are so dangerous, then anything we attempt to do will bring them against us even faster. They will send warships to destroy us."

"Not if you attack with something that can destroy a planet immediately. I have such a weapon that can be used."

Trip perked up, listening hard. He had a feeling that this was where the Xindi Weapon was proposed.

"This weapon will use a powerful energy blast that can crack the planet's tectonic plates, causing powerful enough earthquakes and volcanic eruptions to shatter Earth like an egg."

Now he was getting worried. It sounded suspiciously like what happened to Chulak. A planet, destroyed in an instant by a weapon of unimaginable power. Even if it wasn't the same thing, it was pretty damn close.

"The weapon will take time to build, and it will require a great deal of power, but it will prove to be the ultimate deterrent towards all hostile powers," the sphere builder finished with, the entire council quiet as they listened. "It will save the Xindi for all time."

The Reptilian and the Insectoid both looked like they were in full agreement with building this weapon. The Primate and the Aquatic looked a bit more doubtful, though they seemed to be edging to the same conclusion.

The Arboreal sat down. "Our people will not endorse this," he said. "It is not our way. We will abide by whatever this council decides, but we will not vote for the creation of this weapon."

Silence reigned for a moment, as the council members words sank in. Then... "If that is your final say, then so be it." The Primate turned towards the rest of the council. "All in favor?"

Every hand, save for the Arboreal, rose up in favor. There was no need to call for a vote against. Everything was in order.

The sphere builder smiled. "We will give you the specifications of the weapon. It will be up to you to build the prototype and the finished weapon Do you have any suggestions on who will lead the project?"

The Primate nodded. "One of my people. A scientist named Degra helped in expanding our understanding of the Expanse. He's also good at delegating duty. If he can't do this, then no one can."

"Very well. We shall be in touch soon." And with that, the being vanished, like it didn't exist.

Trip watched the entire Xindi council hall vanish through various doors, before turning to Lizzie. "What the hell is going on?" he asked, standing up fully. "They voted to commit genocide, and most of them aren't even blinking!"

"What else can they do?" Lizzie asked, and even though she had no regrets, the fact that the sphere builders had manipulated an entire species left a bitter taste to her mouth. "They've only known these people as their saviors, and for the most part, they accept what they're told. It would be a problem for them if the Xindi defied them now, but they won't. They have no idea what's really going on. And, as you saw, the Reptilians and the Insectoids will follow them all to willingly. They have desires to rule over all the Xindi. The Arboreal's are not strong enough to oppose them, but they are willing to talk. So are the primates, if you show them proof."

Trip stood up. "Well, how do I get out of here?"

"Back the way you came... through that door. However, you're going to be taken to another reality first. A group of Xindi have gone there to take out a trio of witches, and to acquire an important part of the Xindi weapon. If you can stop them from doing this, and help one who has been injured, I think you'll see that not all of them are responsible for my death."

At that point, he realized what he would have to do. In order for this part of the Trial for Wheeler and Linka to be solved, he would have to either forgive his enemy, or help his enemy.

And, as he knew only too well, that was easier said than done.

* * *

"We lost contact with Belldandy too," Peorth said, surprised. "We haven't been able to locate her, either. Maybe she's still at Bleak's factory, checking what was in those vats."

_"Somehow, I doubt it." _Even over the phone, Keiichi sounded rather worried. _"Keep trying. I'm going to talk to Gaia about using the Geo Chopper."_

"I'll let you know if we find them. Peorth out." The First Class Goddess sat back as the communication terminated. She had no idea how she was going to find a wayward Goddess, but she knew where to turn to. The rest of the Network was busy trying to locate Sakar's hidden army without much success.

Athena, however, was in the Supreme Council, giving her report, before returning to the Earth. Maybe she could help.

* * *

Keiichi put the phone down, shaking his head. "They don't have her, either," he said. "They can't even locate her."

Amara frowned, anger simmering underneath the surface. "If they don't know where she is, then where the hell are they?" She frowned. "Something's wrong. I just know that something's wrong."

"The question is, what do we do about it now?"

"We ask Gaia to use the Geo chopper. I just hope it's flyable, especially since Wheeler had to remove the power pack to put in the Cruiser."

"That would do it."

The two of them made for the Chamber, hoping for some good news.

"A trio of witches, huh?" Trip asked at the door. "I'm gonna have to find them too, aren't I?"

"Well, you'll find yourself in the city they're located in, so that'll be easy. You've got some American money on you right now, so you're good to go."

"What about you?"

"... I'm coming with you, though only because I have some business that I need to take care of there. Also, I may be able to locate the Xindi's exact hiding place."

He could believe that. "Well, I guess if Wheeler and Linka are gonna become the saviors everyone sayin' they are, then I might as well go through with this."

"A last note of caution," Lizzie added. "These people know nothing about demons or aliens, or other universe's for that matter, so you'll have to be careful what you say around them." she grinned. "Other than that, you'll fit right in."

"Well, that's good." Steeling himself, Trip put his hand on the door. "Let's get this over with." He pushed the door open.

Both he and his sister were immediately enveloped in a bright light, taking them to only who knew where.

* * *

T-Pol kept her peace as Wheeler paced back and forth, his own movements hurried and erratic. It was obvious that he wasn't the kind to wait around for a long time, and this was trying his limits.

Linka was the calmest of them, though that was because she was deep in meditation, opening a channel through which her anxiety could flow freely, like a river to the sea.

"How long is this going to take?" T-Pol finally asked, breaking the silence between the three of them.

"I do not know, but since we do not have to worry about eating in this place, it is not such a big deal."

"Time is of the essence, though," Wheeler added, coming to a stop at long last. "That hasn't changed one bit."

"Don't remind us, Yankee."

T-Pol sighed, leaning back on the wall. She didn't know what the plan was for Trip, but whatever it was, it was probably going to be his most difficult challenge.

She just hoped he was equal to it.

* * *

The Geo Chopper flew into the mainland, its pilot making sure to turn in the direction of the factory. The last thing Keiichi and Amara needed was to go in the wrong direction.

Their patience was well rewarded, as they reached their target without any complications. Now came the difficult part; finding Belldandy and Neptune.

"Well, here we go," Amara stated quietly, picking up her P-90. "Let's hope there's nothing left in there that can hurt us."

"There won't be," Keiichi replied. "They'll have made sure of that." He started for the door, the young blonde behind him.

Every step they took was strangely loud in their ears. Neither one of them could figure out why that was, except for the fact they were both afraid.

The door had been forced open via a very powerful kick to it. Edging inside, they found the remains of Bleak's defense system scattered across the floor, up to and including the corpse of a dragon near the middle of the room.

"I'd say they were here," Keiichi commented, covering his nose from the stench that assailed it. "I don't think the army could have taken down a dragon."

"Yeah..." She looked around, finding a set of stairs. "Let's keep moving. We'll probably run into them sorting through a computer file, and just forgot to call in."

"I wish it were that easy. But I learned a long time ago that things are never what they seem. I mean, look at Belldandy. I used to think that nothing could anger her, that she was a stabilizing presence in a house with two sister's always at each other's throats." Keiichi sighed, shaking his head. "Now I know... she does hate. She hates someone who has asked for no quarter, and has given none."

"I'd hate him too, if he did that to me." Amara checked in the control room. "Okay, they're not in here."

"What about the vat room?" Keiichi asked.

She quickly brought the camera in question up, revealing the room in question. They're was nothing there... save for two empty vats. "Looks like they cleared out. Explains why the cleanup crew wasn't contacted immediately."

"Belldandy was supposed to call the cleanup crew the second she finished her analysis."

"Which means she and Neptune were here... and were taken."

"No," a new voice said. "It just means that we have a bigger problem than we originally assumed."

The two of them turned around, their relief and frustration warring within them both. "You had us worried!" Amara almost shouted. "We've been looking all over for you

Neptune smiled. "Sorry, Amara. Belldandy and I just got caught up in our work, and our locater beacons were damaged in the fight, so if you're wondering why you couldn't locate us, that was the reason."

The blonde relaxed slightly at this. "Thank you for small favors. We thoght you two were in trouble."

"Yeah..." Keiichi looked around. "Anyway, where is Belldandy?" he asked.

"On the roof. There are some sort of satellites stationed on the top of the building. They look like they were releasing energy of some sort."

"Any idea where it's going?"

"Not yet. But it's definitely not aimed at the fleet. If anything, it's aimed directly at Hope Island."

Keiichi frowned. "On the roof, you said?" he asked. When Neptune nodded, he made his way towards the stairwell. "Amara, let everyone else know that Belldandy and Michelle are still alive. Otherwise, they'll think we're in trouble, too."

"You got it, Keiichi,"

* * *

Belldandy stared at the satellites for several moments, her senses tracing the energy feed as it went through the air. She could only see as far as any person, if they could see energy emanations, but what she saw was very interesting.

They were definitely heading in the general direction of Hope Island. The only question was; Why? What was Bleak doing?

"Hey."

Belldandy turned around, smiling. "I was hoping you'd show up, Keiichi," she said. "Sorry about not calling in, or even returning. It's just... this seems to be very important."

"Yeah, so Michelle tells me." He handed her his cell phone. "Here, use this. Sounds like this could be just the break we need in locating Blight."

Belldandy nodded, dialing Urd's number. "Urd, this is Belldandy. Could you put Skuld on, please? I think we have an idea on how to locate Blight."

* * *

**Realm 2743**

Trip blinked once, making sure to remain on the sidewalk. His century still used cars on paved roads to travel, even though they had developed cleaner forms of fuel to power them.

Other than that... for a moment, he actually thought he was in his universe's San Francisco. There, on the horizon, was the Golden Gate Bridge, gleaming in the morning light.

Lizzie grinned, looking around. "Pretty, huh?" she asked.

"Big time," he replied, noting the multitude of people walking past, ignoring him completely. "One thing's the same, though. The people here don't care if someone's talkin' to themselves."

"I resent that. Even figments of imagination have feelin's too, you know."

Chuckling, the Chief Engineer looked around, trying to find a phone booth. "Well, let's see if we can find this house." Spotting one several feet away, being used by an obviously beefy man, he made for it.

The man hung up, walking away as Trip reached him. Grateful for the lack of a long wait as he grabbed the yellow covered book, he began flipping through the pages, skimming through the H part. "Got it!" he exclaimed, quickly memorizing the address, grateful for his almost perfect memory. "Well, let's get going. Hopefully, they'll be at home."

"If not, I'll break in, and look around," Lizzie replied. "How's that sound?"

"... ... ... Is that legal?"

"... ... ...Don't know, but it's fun."

Trip shook his head in worry. He didn't know that his little sister had such a reckless streak, but he should have. Wasn't that the creed between siblings, that if one was evil, so was the other? Or was that genes?

* * *

**Realm 2**

Skuld finished her calculations. "Alright, you've definitely got something, Sis," she said. "The problem is, we've already shunted so much of our resources into the defense of this world against the Sunak, we don't have enough to track the wave. Besides, what you're suggesting is impossible!"

_"I know that, Skuld, but can you give me another explanation?"_ Over the phone, Belldandy definitely sounded worried. Not surprising, considering what she had discovered. _"Keiichi tells me that there were similar emanations coming from Skumm's base as well, as if the power was collecting at a central point. What if it's the beginning of a transfer?"_

The energy is ground based, Belldandy! Ground based energy sources cannot, under any circumstances, enter Yggdrasil's primary power core! It's just not possible!" Her hands went over her keyboard. "However, it could be for a more mortal detail."  
_"Explain quickly. I think the battery on this cell's almost out of power."_

"Well, I'd say that Skumm and Bleak are probably using their powers to enhance some sort of machine, aimed at the satellite system Hoshi and Anderson had set in orbit. That way, they could disrupt our entire communication grid."

_"Okay. I'll see if I can disrupt this. In the meantime, do what you can to track those energy streams. Either way, I'm sure they can be used to locate Blight."_

Sighing, Skuld tossed Urd her phone. "Here. I don't think we're going to get another call from them anytime soon."

Urd nodded, putting the phone in her pocket. "So, what was that about?" she asked.

"Belldandy thinks that Blight may be using the energy streams that are moving in this direction to try and hack Yggdrasil's network. I'm thinking that she's using it to take out the communication grid. Neither options very good."

"Good point. So she wants you to develop a way to track the energy flow, and see where it goes, and how to stop it... if it can."

"Exactly. Any ideas?"

Urd grinned. "I have one, alright. Here's what we do..."

* * *

**Realm 2743**

The House was very pretty, as Trip had noticed. It had a beautiful front lawn, and flowers near the doorway. A car was presently in the parking lot. In essence, a normal house in the middle of a peaceful neighborhood. "This is it, huh?" he asked.

Lizzie nodded. "This is it. Not what you were expecting, huh?"

"Not really. I was expecting a star symbol or something."

"They're good witches, and they have to keep their powers a secret. In other words, they have to keep a low profile with their powers and Wicca ingredients. Otherwise, some people upstairs would be very irritated."

"No kiddin'." Trip took a breath. "Well, here we go." He started up the stairs, Lizzie trailing behind him. Reaching the door, he took another deep breath, and knocked.

The door slowly opened, revealing a woman in her early thirties, her gaze inquistive. "Hey, there," she said. "Can I help you, Sir?"

Trip nodded. "I was wonderin'... is this where I can find the Charmed Ones? Because I really need to talk to them."

* * *

Well, here is Chapter Twenty Eight. Chapter Twenty Nine will continue this, and turn to _Voyager_. Please review. 


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

Piper Halliwell finished making the tea, still unable to believe what had happened over the last thirty minutes. She had been thinking of the final foe she and her sisters would probably have to face in order to get her husband Leo back, when she had answered the door.

And this man in a blue jumpsuit asked to meet with them all, saying it was urgent. What the hell was going on?

Quickly putting everything on the tray, she made her out to the living room, where her guest and his ghost companion were waiting.

Paige Mathews-Mitchell was sitting across from Tucker, her gaze relatively patient, which was surprising, considering her relative manner. Phoebe Halliwell, on the other hand, was leaning against the wall closest to the door, her gaze introspective. Not surprising, considering her history with demons and monsters. She had had more encounters with the Underworld than the rest of them put together, save for Prue, dead these many years.

The eldest sister felt her throat close up at the thought of her sister, and how she died futilely protecting an innocent. Steeling herself, putting that usual air of responsibility around her, she entered the living room.

Phoebe looked up, catching her eyes. She knew, she saw, she understood. She missed Prue even more than Piper did, but she kept those emotions in the back of her mind, until she was alone.

"So," Paige began, while her half sister began passing out cups of tea to everyone present, "what's this big emergency that requires all of us here?"

Trip sighed, setting his cup down. "Well, what I'm about to tell you is going to sound crazy, even for people like you." He took a breath. "A group of aliens known as Xindi are here on Earth."

Phoebe straightened up, her introspective gaze dissolving. "Do you know how many there are?" she asked, snapping into a mode that she rarely went into.

Lizzie shook her head. slightly confused. "No, we don't. We only know that they're here, and that they're looking for a mineral of some sort."

"We do know that they're also comin' for you," Trip added. "Apparently, they were told that you girls had some experience with outer space travel."

Paige frowned, looking at him like he had grown a second head. "Why do they think that? I mean, unless you call Piper's occasional super explosion, we've never left Earth."

"What ship did you say you served on?" Piper asked abruptly, a funny feeling forming in her gut. For some reason, this was starting to look familiar to her.

"_Enterprise._ Why?"

Piper and Phoebe looked at each other. "Could you excuse the two of us for a second?" the younger Halliwell asked. "We need to decide whether or not you're crazy." She and her sister walked back to the kitchen, where they could talk in peace.

As soon as they were past the threshold, Phoebe immediately said, "He must be from an earlier time."

"Or a later time, after the fact," Piper retorted. "Maybe they regressed at a certain point."

Phoebe gave her a look that said it all. "Which one of us was on the _Enterprise,_ and which one of us was on horseback? Piper, I went through the computer database. Commander Tucker was the Chief Engineer of the first starship to bear the name, in the 2150's. The NX-01, under the command of Captain Jonathan Archer. He's from the Twenty Second Century."

"... Okay, you got me there. So, do we tell him as much?"

"No. The Prime Directive applies here. We can't tell him anything about the future, so let's keep this conversation to ourselves until we get more information, okay?"

"Okay. I get it. Now can we go back in there before Paige starts wondering where we went?"

"Yeah, sure." The two sisters made their way back to living room, where Paige and Trip were waiting for them, looking very confused. They were going to enjoy the rest of this conversation, that was for sure.

* * *

Malcolm stopped in front of the restricted quarters, feeling a chill run through him as he stared at the security lock on the door. "Now, you're probably wondering why we have this door sealed off," he said, maintaining his professional expression.

"Actually, we are," Chakotay replied. He was somewhat surprised to see something sealed off, and the way that the _Enterprise_ security chief was cringing suggested that something was in there that he didn't want to remember.

Malcolm nodded. "Well, two years ago, we had a visitor from the distant future come aboard the _Enterprise_. He was assigned to these quarters. He brought with him a number of gadgets from his time, which we decided would remain off limits. Not even Starfleet Command knows about them." He pressed the deactivation code on the lock, pulling the heavy object off. Pressing the control panel, he walked in, the two _Voyager _officers following him.

Tuvok arched an eyebrow. "Fascinating," he said.

Malcolm picked up one of the devices that caught the vulcan's attention. He pushed one button. Instantly, the whole room became filled with a star map of some sort. "This is what he called... well, I don't know what he called it. I call it a Temporal Scanner."

Chakotay looked around. "It reminds me of Stellar Cartography."

"Well, it's a little more advanced than that, but basically the same idea. The Captain didn't want to do anything that could cause future damage, so he ordered this room barricaded." Malcolm shut the device off. "There's also a historical archive computer, and a device that allows its user to pass through solid walls, as well as a few other things we couldn't make heads or tails of."

The two Twenty Fourth Century officers looked at each other, somewhat surprised. It appeared that today was full of surprises. Kirk wasn't the first _Enterprise _captain to have experiences with time travel; Archer was. And, by the looks of it, he liked it even less than Kirk.

Malcolm gestured to the door, wanting out of the room. "Our captains are probably done with their briefing, so let's go meet them. They'll probably be at the Transporter Pad, waiting."

Chakotay frowned at this tidbit of information. Something was definitely up.

* * *

The Sunak fighter slowed to impulse as it approached is objective; the massive Sunak fleet that was forming. It stopped about twenty miles from the border, awaiting communication from the _Crusher_.

Bre-tac looked at Zephyer. "How long must we wait for them to speak?" he asked.

Zephyer didn't turn his head, having perfected waiting into an art form. "It is standard procedure for them to scan each fighter and vessel, to learn if they have hijacked. Very rarely does this security function fail us."

"And this time, we want them to know that I am here."

"Exactly. Before they destroy us, they will hail us, and demand to know who is here. I will do the talking."

The Jaffa Master nodded, seeing the wisdom of the Telazian's words. If the Sunak was free, they answered with no guilt in their voice. If they were not, then they had only a few seconds to escape before the vessel destroyed them.

_"Goinua topras Feriomius!"_ a voice suddenly demanded from the communication speakers. _"Huots Defensas Zordih!"_

Zephyer activated the two way line. "This is Lieutenant Zephyer. I have brought with me a Jaffa rebel who wishes to speak on Earth's behalf," he replied. "I have learned something about the Death Dealer that must be considered." He sat back, waiting.

The silence stretched for some time until finally... _"Lieutenant, it is good to hear your voice."_

"Commander Karken. Sir, did Fruod give you my message?"

_"He did. He also knows that you were not coerced into this. Battle Bay One is open. A full contingent of guards await you."_

"Of course, Sir. Zephyer out." The Lieutenant looked at Bre-tac. "It is customary for a returning warrior to be escorted to the bridge. Considering the nature of this emergency, the more ears, the better."

"A fair point. my friend. I have heard of Commander Karken. Quick to anger, but honorable. He will at least allow me to speak to him about what we have learned, before killing me." The Jaffa Master leaned back in his seat as the pilot started them forward. His staff weapon was in the back, out of reach. A deliberate show that he wasn't a threat.

The fighter flew into the _Crusher_, its weapons off line. It touched down, engines shutting off several minutes. The security guards moved in, taking positions at the rear hatch.

Zephyer stepped out first, Bre-tac right behind him. "Sir," he said.

"Welcome back, Lieutenant." Sheeyal returned, eyes latching onto Bre-tac. "Indeed, a Jaffa rebel. Welcome aboard the _Crusher_, Master Bre-tac."

Bre-tac bowed to her. "I am grateful that your commander agreed to see me."

"It sounded extremely important. Well, shall we?"

* * *

"We can't exactly search the whole Underworld for the Xindi," Phoebe stated, a map of San Francisco spread out across the coffee table. "Scrying won't work because they aren't demons or humans, so we're going to have to use every resource at our disposal."Trip looked at the map for a moment. "They'll try to avoid any populated areas, or where they might be spotted." 

Piper nodded. "We're going to need an alien to find them. Any ideas on who we can summon, kid?"

Lizzie shook her head. "I can't help you there, Mrs. Halliwell. I don't know any for you to summon that would help us."

"Well, maybe we should just do a general summoning, and deal with whoever comes through," Paige suggested. "I'll just modify the spell, and we'll be all set."

"You might want to have that pistol standing by in case he isn't friendly." Phoebe looked around. "Let's do it in the hall, so he doesn't have anywhere to go except through us."

"Good idea. ...Uh, Trip, maybe you should stay here until we can be certain that he isn't a threat."

"Ah had the same thought." Trip quickly entered the living room again, staying out of sight. If the alien was hostile, there would be no way of telling if he would be recognized.

* * *

"I take it that Malcolm has shown you everything?" Archer asked.

Chakotay nodded. "It had an interesting finish," he replied. "I had no idea that the Twenty Second Century had had encounters with the future."

"Means they were doing their job." Janeway looked around, still trying to make sense of everything she had learned. "I've looked over the Ship's Log from over the last two weeks. It seems that this Earth is under attack from a force that calls itself the Sunak Confederation. The alien ships in orbit are part of a race called the Asgard. They're allies of the human race, and have helped them in the past." It was a lot to take in, even for them, and they had seen a lot in six and a half years in the Delta Quadrant.

Archer sighed, knowing how this captain of the future felt. He had had similar problems when he had first arrived. "If you need to go over all of this with your staff, I'll have you beamed back to your ship."

Janeway nodded. "I'll contact you in about three hours."

"We'll be waiting."

_Voyager's _captain stepped onto the Transporter Pad, her officers following suite. She nodded to the crewman on duty. "Energize."

Archer waited until Janeway had finished dematerializing, before turning to Malcolm. "What do you think?" he asked.

Malcolm shrugged. "I get the distinct feeling that they're in just as much of a bind as we are. Their ship has recently repaired damage to their hull, even if we can't scan through their shields."

Now that his Tactical Officer mentioned it, the vessel seemed to have a rather roughened look to it. He had seen it on _Enterprise _herself whenever they went back to Earth for an overhaul after battle.

He had the strange feeling that Captain Janeway was in somewhat dire straits, even by Twenty Second Century standards.

Malcolm looked at him. "I'd say you and Captain Janeway have more in common than either of you realize."

Archer looked at the Pad, thinking for several seconds. "I'm beginning to think the same thing, Malcolm. In fact, I think she might be one up on me."

* * *

Phoebe looked at her sisters. "You two ready?" she asked.

Paige nodded. "We were born ready, girl. Let's get this done."

Nodding, Phoebe began to breathe in, preparing herself. "_Here these words, hear my cry. Spirit from the other side. Come to me, I summon thee. Cross now the great divide."_

Slowly, energy began to collect at the point they had decided upon. Golden lights consolidated into a solid form; that of a tall man in a futuristic uniform, a large sash of some kind across his torso.

Phoebe frowned. There was something familiar about that sash. What was it, though?

The spirit looked around, clearly surprised as well as he took in his surroundings. He soon turned around.

The two older Halliwell sisters looked at each other, shocked beyond measure. "_Worf?!_" they got out in unison.

Paige frowned. "You know this guy?" she asked.

"From a long time ago," Piper said.

Worf turned around, somewhat surprised. "Phoebe? Piper?"

"You're dead?" Phoebe couldn't believe it. She had thought Worf was a pillar. Nothing could kill him. And yet, here he was, a spirit. What the hell happened?

Worf looked himself over, saw the fact that he was see through, and looked up. "Was I in limbo?"  
Piper shook her head. "No, you weren't in limbo," she replied. "Actually, we were trying to summon an alien spirit that could help someone we know on a little quest of his. Apparently, you're it. Though _how_ is another story."

The Klingon noticed that he had slowly solidified into a more solid form, noted that he had full mobility, and stepped forward. "As you have probably already guessed, I have died," he said. "I was murdered by Dukat."  
"Ah. How he managed to kill you is still a little shaky."

"He was possessed by a Pai-Wraith… a Bajoran devil."

"Bad luck," Phoebe stated, wincing a bit.

Paige snapped her fingers. "Okay, you guys said hello. You can trade war stories later. Right now, we've got a guy from the Twenty Second Century in the other room, and last time I checked, in those days, people weren't exactly chummy with Klingots."

"Klingons," Piper stressed.

"A human from the Twenty Second Century?" Worf asked, puzzled.

"Kinda long story there, too. Come on. Better that you meet him than have us try to explain. Living room."

"Where am I, exactly?"  
"Halliwell Manor."

"Ah."

* * *

The sound of boots clanking on uncarpeted floors had a different effect on each person. For the Sunak, it was a familiar sound, and ignored as such.

Bre-tac listened to the sound, and compared it to onboard a Goa'uld vessel. The sound was different, due to the metal used in its construction. It spoke of a different era... of war never ending.

Sadly, he came to the conclusion that their situation hadn't changed much. Sakar had seen to that.

The guards ushered them into the turbo lift. "Bridge," one of them ordered.

Bre-tac had to admit, he had never been on a ship with such a primitive kind of transportation device. Goa'uld and Asgard vessels had small scale beaming technology to get between decks. This was a bygone era.

As he realized exactly how much this Confederation was forged because of Sakar, the lift deposited them on the bridge. Like the rest of the ship, it was primitive in design and simplicity. Unlike the more advanced vessels, this one had few stations, which required them to push buttons and pull small levers to move their ship, or maintain that same ship.

Zephyer bowed. "Commander."

Commander Karken stood up from his chair, walking up to them. "Master Bre-tac," he said in greeting. "Lieutenant Zephyer. Welcome aboard the _Crusher_."

"Sir."

"Commander."

Karken nodded to the guards. Immediately, they stepped back into lift, returning to their stations. "Now then, Master Bre-tac, what brings you to the fleet that threatens to destroy the planet Earth?"

Bre-tac took a breath. "The Tauri would like me to tell you that the only chance you have for defeating Sakar lies on Earth. Two humans who have acquired the powers of the Guardians, and have challenged Sakar in battle… and lived to tell the story."

Karken looked at Sheeyal, who looked just as surprised as he did. "You are certain?"

"Yes. Wheeler Sloane and Linka Ivanova, two of Gaia's Planeteers. They are the next of a blood line that have fought the Death Dealer for more than a thousand years."

Now this was news to them. A bloodline capable of standing against Sakar was something they had never known about until now. Which mean they had been given a new option. One that would spare the Earth and its people from unnecessary bloodshed.

But there was more to a change in strategy than just talking to the commander of the invasion fleet.

Karken turned to Sheeyal, who nodded. She believed Bre-tac, and that was enough for him. "You will have to tell the Praetor of this. He's the only one who has the power to halt an invasion." He turned to Communications. "Send word to the Capital. Inform the Praetor's office that Master Bre-tac of Chulak wishes an audience with him immediately."

"Aye, Sir."

Bre-tac looked at Zephyer, who nodded. Satisfied, he relaxed, waiting for the next step of his mission to begin.

* * *

"Commander Charles Tucker?!" Worf stated in disbelief.

Trip was equally surprised. "Okay, so the alien that gets to help me stop the Xindi is a Klingon?" he asked. "How's that gonna help?"

Phoebe smiled slightly. "Well, Worf's not your average Klingon, for starters. Two, he's about two hundred years ahead of you, from an era where the Federation and the Empire are coexisting peacefully. And finally, he's a Starfleet officer, like you."

"So zip it!" Piper added.

Lizzie giggled in the background, watching the whole scene unfold before her. It was so funny to see her brother get into situations that he couldn't get out without getting over something or other. This was just another one.

Trip shrugged at long last. "Fine. It's not like the future's been screwed up as is." He sat back down. "Well, the Xindi are here, on this Earth, and they're hell bent on finishing their weapon. They need some kind of mineral that is indigenous to this Earth. So, how do we go about finding them? They ain't just gonna be in the phone book."

Worf nodded, understanding the dilemma. When someone who was there for a nefarious purpose, they would try to hide their activities from the rest of the world. "We will have to search every part of this city," he said.

"We're in the middle of Twenty First Century San Francisco!" Paige interrupted. "A Six Foot Klingon's going to be a little noticeable!"

Phoebe grinned at that. "And we are witches, Paige," she replied. "We do a little concealment spell, then we start hunting."

"How about we narrow the search pattern a bit?" Lizzie suggested. "The Earth my brother's presently trying to protect doesn't have a whole lot of time left. Time isn't going to slow down for that."

On that, they all agreed. A massive search of the city would take too long, and it would look kind of suspicious to the demon underworld.

Piper suddenly looked up, spearing her sisters with a look that said it all. She had figured out the only place they could be. "The Underworld," she said.

There was only one thing to do... one place to look.

* * *

Janeway looked at her Senior Staff as Chakotay finished his and Tuvok's report, watching their reactions.

Tom Paris was wide eyed with surprise.

Harry Kim was frowning in thought.

B'lanna was impressed, her half Klingon brow elevated somewhat with completely human interest.

And Seven of Nine had an almost vulcan arch to her eyebrow. Obviously, she was finding the whole thing fascinating.

"So, let me see if we got everything," Paris stated. "We're basically caught in the middle of a war that's going to reach its final stage in a couple of days, and we're not going to do anything about _Enterprise_. I mean, what about the Prime Directive?"

Kim looked at Janeway. "Captain, this isn't the first time we've had to deal with something bigger than the Prime Directive. Remember our first year in the Delta Quadrant?"

"You don't have to, Harry. We were all there… most of us, anyway."

Seven nodded once, knowing what they were talking about. It was in _Voyager's_ database, after all. "I have scanned the coordinates that Lieutenant Reed provided for us," she said. "There is indeed a fleet of vessels positioned there. Perhaps the invasion that they are preparing for."

"Also, Archer hasn't asked for any advanced technology. His vessel has obviously been upgraded already in everything except their warp core. And more importantly, the governments of this day and age know we're up here already. I'd say the Prime Directive doesn't even have a voice in the matter."

Janeway held her hand up, getting their attention. "When you all have the same thought, I know I'm in trouble," she said, good humor lacing her tone. "Well, the next question is; what are we going to do about it?"

Now that question was a little more difficult to answer. What did they do? They knew what they wanted to do, but the Federation took a stricter approach to this situation. No matter what the situation was, no matter the precedence, the Prime Directive always came first. They were facing a situation where they were dealing with Industrialized Earth, and had found themselves within the center of an alien war. They had a great deal of information, but not all of it.

The captain sighed. "I suggest we all sleep on it. We'll reconvene tomorrow." She waited until they had left, before sitting down again, breathing out. "Why is always us?" she asked no one in particular.

* * *

Galaxia bowed before the projection before her. "What is it that you require from me?" she asked.

The being before her barely moved. _"I want you to go to Earth," _he intoned. _"Princess Kakyuu and her Sailor Starlights are there, hiding among the humans. Also, Sailor Neptune has been awakened, and is working with the Spirit of Earth. If she awakens Uranus, they could become a threat to our plans, even without the rest of the Sailor Soldiers. Go to Earth, and take their Starseeds before all of them unite."_

"What of the reports of the Guardians mobilizing for war?"

"It is of no concern to us. Soon, darkness will rule the cosmos. Earth will not resist, and I know that you wish for the most powerful of Starseeds to complement the Light of Hope. The only way you will be able to do that is if you possess the rest of them. Now go."

"By your command, Sir." Galaxia bowed before heading out. She had her orders, which meant that she no longer needed to listen to the Goa'uld.

Now she could do what she had wanted to do since the beginning.

* * *

Here is Chapter Twenty Nine, ready for you to read and review.

Well, I hope everyone had a great Christmas, because I sure did. But, my month of rest from typing is over. Now I'm back, and rested.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

Gi sat up, making sure to gently move Kwame's arm off of her. Giving the sleeping man a quick kiss on the cheek, she got dressed, before heading out.

Gaia and Zarm were both still in conversation as she entered the Crystal Chamber, as Clash kept up a silent vigil at the computer console, having forcibly evicted Urd from the post. Mister darling was probably with his wife, getting some shut eye.

Gaia looked up as Gi approached, somewhat surprised. "Gi, I thought you and Kwame were asleep."

Gi shrugged helplessly. "I couldn't sleep. Too much on my mind."

The Spirit of Earth could understand that. After all, it had only been a day since she had given them their final rings. She would have been surprised if Gi didn't have a lot of worries concerning such power. Unfortunately, those concerns weren't paramount to their continued survival.

Clash suddenly let out a slight yell, sitting up straighter. "We've got something here!" he stated.

Almost immediately, all three of them were in front of Planet Vision, looking at the map of Tokyo. Their eyes were glued to three particular beacons, all situated in the center of the city.

Gi frowned. "What is that?" she asked.

Clash frowned, checking the readings. "I don't know for sure, but it is alien. I'm going to need someone who can read these signatures."

Gi sighed. "Time to go get one of the Potters real fast. Who's nearest here, anyway?"

Zarm smirked. "We'll give you two guesses."

* * *

"The Underworld?" Paige repeated in surprise. "You have got to be kidding me."

"It makes sense, Paige." Even Phoebe looked rather surprised as she said that. "I mean, Piper's got a point. Where else can they go without being caught by people? They'd go to a place where they'd have the advantage in numbers."

"Indeed, it would give them a tactical advantage," Worf murmured. "How are we to get to them, though?"

"We're witches, remember? Getting down there is a cinch. What we're going to do once we get there… now that's the kicker?"  
Trip finally held up a hand. "Not to sound like an idiot, but I'm not interested in goin' to Hell just yet."

Piper grinned. "Relax. We've been down there plenty of times. It's nothing to be worried about."

"We're not all witches, or dead for that matter!" Trip frowned. "Hold on, were you all...?"

"No, we weren't."

"Okay."

Lizzie held up a hand. "We still have a problem, and that's we don't know where to look down there yet."

"We will," Phoebe assured her. "I've got a few friends who might be able to help us."

* * *

"I don't care how much Alania says it's okay, I'm never going to get used to this," Guardian Focos said, as lower level demons scattered out of his and his counterpart's way, and higher level demons simply vanished from his sight.

His counterpart smiled slightly. "Well, Commander Tucker is here for reasons other than helping Wheeler and Linka complete their trial. The Xindi are here for a reason, and our mission is to ensure that the Charmed Ones survive this... unless you want us to try and explain to Prue why her sisters are no longer on the grid."

The two Guardians shuddered at the images they came up with concerning her possible responses. The super witch of the Halliwell's placed her family above all else. The only reason why she abided by Guardian laws was because of the fact her sisters didn't need her. If they ended up dead, every head in the Underworld, not to mention their own, would roll.

Those thoughts were still going through their heads as they turned one corner... and were immediately struck with a bizarre scene.

There wasn't a single demon anywhere in the area.

Focos looked at his wife, before pulling his communicator. "We've found them," he said in a massive understatement.

* * *

James entered the Crystal Chamber, his brow furrowed. "Alright, I'm here," he said. "What are these energy signatures you want me to see?"

Gaia pointed to the map in question, while Gi stood in the background, watching the Guardian as he moved to the screen, his gaze becoming rather intense. "Has anyone else seen them?" he asked. "Neptune, for instance?"

"No," Gi replied. "Why, what are they?"  
"Senshi signatures. If I'm reading the power ratio correctly, they are the Senshi of Kinmoku. The Sailor Starlights, in fact."

"Sailor Starlights?" Clash asked. "You mean there are more of them?"

"A Sailor Senshi for every planet and star. During the Sliver Millennium, the Scouts themselves were from the nine planets, before being reborn on Earth." The Guardian shrugged a bit at their confused looks. "My Great-Great Grandfather was the emissary to the Moon Kingdom."

"Ah."

Gi shook her head a bit. That genetic memory was a bit confusing, as you could never tell if they were talking from personal experience, or if they were recounting another's experiences. "Well, let's go and check them out," she said. "I mean, what better way to find out if they're going to help us?"  
"A great idea, but I'm going to ask Neptune and Amara to meet us there. They may listen to a Senshi of this planet better. Also, Belldandy can inform them of the situation a hell of a lot better than Lily or I can."

Kwame stumbled into the room, rubbing his eyes. "Gaia, must you yell?" he asked.

Gaia shrugged. "You've got a mission to take care of. You're going to meet your first alien Senshi."

"I'll explain on the way," Gi said hastily, so as to avoid the number of questions that her boyfriend would have. "So, how do we get them over to Japan?"

"Lily will take care of that. She's already aware of the situation." James shook his head a bit, loosening his neck muscles. "Well, hang on, you two. This will be a bit disconcerting."

The two Planeteers barely had enough time to grab each other's hand, before the Guardian of Magic suddenly teleported them off of Hope Island, startling everyone there with its speed.

* * *

Phoebe looked up from her computer, where she was finishing her column for tomorrow's paper. Paige was on her phone, talking to her husband about something. Piper was moving around the kitchen, trying to stay busy. And there was Worf, standing at the front door, glaring at their welcome mat for whatever reason.

Trip was in the living room, so he wasn't getting in anyone's way. She could see him whenever he entered the hallway, apparently pacing. He was as nervous as the rest of them, and he was showing it in his own way.

"Typo, second line."

"Thanks, Lizzie." Phoebe found the flaw, and corrected it. "And could you not hover over my shoulder? I don't like it when ghosts do that."

"Sorry, I'm just bored." The ghost walked away, walking through the wall to the basement.

She walked back out almost immediately as the phone began to ring.

Phoebe immediately snatched up the hand set, checking the Caller ID. Finding a series of blocks, she turned it on. "Hello?"

Everyone entered the room, watching as she listened to the person on other side. "All right, thanks." They all started as she looked up, her eyes shining with triumph. "They found a clue to the location of the Xindi group, though it's a long shot."

Trip turned around. "I'll take anythin' right about now," he said. "What is it?"

"Well, they found an area of the Underworld devoid of any kind of life whatsoever. Demons have a tendency to take up every wide area they can find, claiming that territory they can find. A vacant area means that the demons have been driven out by something even more prepared."

"The Xindi," Trip muttered.

"That's their theory, too."

He turned around, observing Worf for a second. Worf nodded. "Well, we're gonna need to know if Degra is with them."

"I shall find out," Worf promised, before disappearing in a swirl of lights.

Piper turned around. "Well, Phoebe... anything else we can do?"

"Well, we're going to need weapons. Paige, can you talk to Henry, and see if he'll be able to free up some pistols for you and Piper. Piper, get Billie, and tell her to bring every single potion she's made here. We're going to need everything we can get if we're going to take the Xindi on."

"What about you?"

"She's got something else to use... in the attic."

Phoebe grinned. "A few items that'll help us find and deal with our wayward aliens."

* * *

The Geo Chopper touched down in Tokyo's air force base. Three people got out, saluting to the officers who met them.

Four people left the base, before disappearing in a swirl of the wind.

A beam of light emerged, depositing James and the two Planeteers on the busy streets of the city. Lily soon joined them, appearing via transporter.

Belldandy emerged from the alley, straightening out her blouse. Amara and Michelle followed suite, Michelle making sure that her skirt was on properly.

Amara shook her head. "Geez, you all powerful people sure have weird ideas of travel. What happened to simply calling a cab?"

"We're a little pressed for time, Amara," Belldandy replied brusquely. "You said that the three Starlights are here, Mister Potter?"

"Big time, and within this general vicinity," James replied. "Personally, I'm surprised they've stopped running. Lily, do you think they found a clue as to their princess's location here on Earth?"

Lily nodded. "Under the circumstances, I'd say that's possible. I'd also say that they're probably aware of what's going on here, and are lying low."

"So how do we find them?"

Amara looked around, her eyes catching sight of a poster nearby. Walking over to it, she frowned. "The Three Star Lights have a concert that's going to happen today," she said, perplexed. "With the attack at Nekomi, you'd think they'd take a break."

James took a look at that poster, before turning to his wife, eyes twinkling. "Lily, are you thinking what I'm thinking?" he asked.

Lily smirked. "How about we all go see a concert today?"  
Michelle looked at them, a tad fearfully. "Uh… no?"

* * *

Billie walked into the Halliwell Manor, her eyes bugging out at the level of activity that was occurring within its walls. "Whoa, someone want to tell me what's going on?" she asked. "All Piper said was that I was needed."

Paige walked up to her, bottling a potion up. "We're getting ready to head down to the Underworld," she explained. "We have reason to believe that an alien force is down there, preparing to wipe us out. So, we need to take them out first."

"Oh. First we're fighting demons, now space aliens."

"Life just keeps getting more interesting for us, doesn't it?"

The young blond decided not to even dignify that with a response. Instead, she simply entered the living room, laying eyes on Commander Tucker for the first time. "Hi."

"Hi," Trip said. "Ah take it you're their protégé?"

"Big time."

Worf reappeared, knocking soot off of his uniform. "Degra is indeed there," he said. "There are about seventy Xindi of various breeds with him, armed. They decided to make their displeasure known at my intrusion."

"That explains the soot," Paige noted.

"Weapons fire."

Trip stood up. "Well, that's good news."

"Not entirely. It would appear that they have harvested a great deal of the mineral they are seeking."

That _definitely _didn't sound good. "So why are they still here?"

Lizzie frowned. "They're probably ahead of schedule, and are waiting for their transport to pick them up."

Piper sighed, putting her ladle "So we need to get Degra fast, before they leave."

"How?" Trip replied.

Lizzie and Worf looked at each other. "Don't worry, Big Brother. We'll take care of that. We'll be back in a few." She turned to Piper. "Could you have a location spell ready for finding dead spirits ready? When we get him, we're going to want to leave in a hurry. Paige, we're gonna need your abilities."

"Oh, we'll be ready. Just get that Degra guy."

The two spirits and half whitelighter vanished to the Underworld, while Piper went to the stairwell. "Phoebe, get a spirit location spell ready! Lizzie and Worf are going to get us out Xindi!"

Phoebe went to the attic door. "Already got it!" she shouted, before heading back to one of the boxes, smirking slightly. It was better to have Degra inside Halliwell manor than trying to get to him in the Underworld. It'd also be more convenient.

Finally, her hand clasped onto the item she wanted. Pulling it out, she checked the charge on it. '_Still good,'_ she thought, pulling the belt out and slapping it on. Holstering the weapon, she stood up, making for the attic door. In her hand was the spell Piper had asked for.

At her waist was a Type-2 phaser, which was something she should not have had.

* * *

Seiya Kou looked at the clock, yawning tiredly. They were only a few minutes away from one of the biggest concerts of their professional careers, but more importantly, they were going to be one step closer to finding their missing Princess. It would take several years, but patience was a virtue they had learned a long time ago.

However, events within the city, and around the world, had brought a new level of urgency to their mission. They had to move fast, before the Death Dealer attacked again.

The incident in Nekomi had forcibly reminded them of the other dangers that existed. The Eco-terrorists, for starters. Then the fact that Yggdrasil was bringing their most powerful goddesses to the planet spoke of how serious the situation is.

Taiki entered the dressing room, adjusting his tie. Looking at him, you couldn't tell that, when caught in battle, he became a Senshi, a female warrior. "Are you ready, Seiya?" he asked.

Seiya nodded, standing up. "Yaten has his communicator tuned in. Hopefully, the Princess will be listening in."

"Good." Her eyes closed. "You know. I wish we could stay in one place. It'd make her finding us a whole lot easier."

"Yes. It would also make it easier for that traitor Galaxia to find us, too. You haven't forgotten that, have you?"

"No, I haven't. I'm just tired of running, you know? Tired of this damn war. I just want to find the Princess, and go home."

Taiki nodded, well aware of Seiya's devotion to the Princess. When Kakyuu had disappeared, the leader of the Sailor Starlights had almost killed herself in grief.

Her musings were cut short by the beeping of her alarm. "Well, let's get this over with," she said, getting up. Disguising themselves as men through glamoring was a stroke of genius. As men, they were less noticeable than as their usual selves. Now all they had to do was stay hidden until the Princess was found.

* * *

Degra hated his current surroundings.

The walls were unnaturally dry, the air unusually hot. They had to contend with some of the residents, all who seem to possess the ability to create energy spheres of some kind. They had had to spend part of their time clearing the area they had set up of them.

Now, there was that Klingon to take into consideration.

He had watched, shocked beyond measure, as the warrior entered their base of operations. His shock had grown when, surrounded by thirty soldiers who had opened fire, the Klingon didn't fall. In fact, he looked rather surprised as well... before vanishing in a swirl of lights.

Now they were clearing out every corner of their mining area, ensuring that there were no other surprises waiting for them.

A Reptilian walked up to him, his scowl permanently etched on his face. "We're approaching the maximum limit our ship will be able to carry."

The scientist nodded. "Begin transporting the material to the ship. The sooner we finish this, the sooner we can all get out of here."

The Reptilian nodded, making his way back to the rest of the team.

"You should have returned with him, Degra," a new voice said, surprisingly soft. "You would have spared yourself the dishonor of being captured."

He turned around just in time to see the Klingon's fist catch him with a right hook.

* * *

Trip looked up as her sister reappeared, looking particularly smug about something. It didn't take a genius to figure out about what. "I take it ya got him?" he asked.

"Oh yes, and in typical Klingon fashion; with a perfectly executed right hook," Lizzie replied. "Worf is very disciplined. Degra doesn't even have a broken jaw."

"I like him better already."

Phoebe grinned from her perch on the couch. "Looks like Worf's having fun."

"When is punching a guy fun?" Paige asked.

"I'm with her," Billie said, chucking a finger at the half whitelighter.

"He's a Klingon." Piper entered with a plate of sandwiches. "By the way, he's trussed up in my room."

"Thanks for the warning. I'll to avoid him if I need to fight the woogie again."

Trip chuckled, accepting a sandwich from the Charmed One. "What I wanna know is how Worf was able to get him back up here."

"That would have been me," Paige replied, almost queen like in her posture. "Ah, the joys of being half whitelighter."

Shaking his head, the Chief Engineer got up, making for the upstairs.

* * *

The entire stadium was almost packed to the rim when James teleported them inside. They were all chanting for the stars of the show.

"It is pretty loud!" Kwame shouted, almost drowned out by the sheer volume of the crowd.

"This is nothing!" James replied. "You should hear the noise level at sporting events!"

"Why are we here?" Gi asked.

"To meet the stars! I'll explain later!"

Belldandy shook her head, looking at Amara. "This is why I don't work with other beings of incredible power!"

Potter just looked at her, smirking. "Don't worry, Belldandy! All of your questions are about to be answered! Now hush up!"  
The cheering had suddenly increased in volume as the light's dimmed, as if the expectations of an entire generation were about to be fulfilled. They were cheering for their heroes. They were cheering for their idols.

And, in a flurry of stars shooting towards the sky, the Star Lights appeared on the stage.

James was immediately struck by how much they resembled the Senshi they were looking for. The same hair styles, the same commanding presences, and even the same glimmer in their eyes. However, there was a hardness to them as they took their positions, as if almost all hope had been lost for them, and they were just biding their time before the end.

There was also the very obvious fact that they were all male. It was a pretty clever disguise really.

"Hey, ladies!" the head of the group, Seiya Kou shouted. "Are you ready for some music?"  
Keiichi winced as the answering roar almost popped his ear drums. "Looks like we're going to be here for quite a while," he muttered to himself.

Belldandy smiled. "I don't know," she replied, having overheard him. "This could be a learning experience, Keiichi. You might able to appreciate someone else's singing more than mine."

"But I like how you sing."

Her cheeks turned pink slightly, but she was pleased with the simple praise, nonetheless. She settled back, listening to the three on stage with interest.

* * *

Degra groaned as he regained consciousness, his head pounding painfully. He tried to lift his hand to rub it...

Only to find out that he was tied to a chair.

He immediately began struggling against his bonds, trying to shout through the gag that was over his mouth, and found it impossible to.

As he continued to try and free himself, the door opened, revealing one of the three women the sphere builders wanted destroyed. He hadn't thought he would actually meet one of them. He hadn't even thought his team would have found them before they left.

The woman looked at him for a second, before removing the gag from his mouth. "Hey there, buddy," she said. "You're probably wondering where you are. Well, for security sake, we're not going to tell ya. What I can tell you is that you've been a very naughty boy."

"Why am I here?" Degra demanded harshly. "And where is the Klingon?"

"The Klingon is downstairs, talking to my sisters about something or other. Now then, we want to know why you're here, and what this has to do with the rest of the Xindi."

To say that the Primate was surprised with her knowledge of his people was an understatement. In fact, she had shown no surprise as all of the fact that he was in the house, and that he was an extra-terrestrial. "Who are you?"

The woman smirked. "You should know," she replied. "Phoebe Halliwell, at your service."

Phoebe Halliwell... the name came to him quick. She was a human with abnormally high ESP. They were warned that she could see into the future, and had decided to keep their activities confined within the strange tunnels under the planet surface. Apparently, they weren't careful enough.

Phoebe Halliwell stepped back. ""Oh, don't worry about little old me. I'm not the one you have to explain things too. You actually have someone else to talk to. Someone from the Earth you're threatening is here, and he wants to talk to you."

And Degra got his second shock of the day, as a human in a jumpsuit entered the room, his gaze almost cold. In fact, he had a hunch that this human was from the Earth vessel that had been spotted in the Expanse. What was he doing here?

Phoebe's smirk was almost permanently ingrained on her face as she turned to the officer. "I'll leave you two some time to yourselves," she said.

"Thanks," he replied, stepping into the room as the meta human closed the door behind her. "Well, well, well. Never thought I'd see your ugly mug, Degra."

"Nor did I think that I would ever meet a human, Commander Charles Tucker," Degra retorted. He had previewed the Earth's ship crew complement and Senior Staff after the Insectoids stormed the ship. No sense having them show up if they didn't know who they were.

Tucker merely inclined his head. "Ah see you know about the _Enterprise's_ crew. We know about your weapon, and we're gonna stop it in time. However, that's not why we're here. We're here considering the information you got from the sphere builders, concerning us humans."

That bald statement, which was more than enough to catch the Primate by surprise again, also told him a great deal. It seemed that their security wasn't as good as they thought. "Oh, really," he said, trying to buy himself some time. He needed to know more.

Tucker pulled another chair up to him, straddling it. "I know about the council meeting," he said. "I know that the Aquatics wanted to know more, know that the Reptilians wanted to strike us immediately. I also know that the Arboreals voted against the construction of the weapon."

"Well," Degra could honestly say that he hadn't expected the human to know that. If anything, he was rendered temporarily speechless.

"Ah wanna know the reason for your coming here, and wantin' these girl's dead in the process."

"I don't know why, but I think it's because of the fact they have powers."

"And that makes them different? If you really wanted them dead, you would have stormed their house in the middle of the night. Or are they only a secondary mission?"

"A secondary mission. We decided to remain down in the catacombs, and only contend with them if they ever showed up. Now, how did you know?"

"I witnessed it before I came here. Now Degra, I wanna know somethin'... why? Why did you people decide to commit genocide? And against a people that have no quarrel with ya. We didn't even know about you until you attacked us!"

"We have the right to survive!" Degra hot back. "The sphere builders warned us about you, about how you will destroy us in four centuries! They have never been wrong before, and we have no reason to doubt their word!"  
"You _murdered_ over four million people!" Tucker retorted angrily. "Don't even consider yourself innocent! You killed over four million men, women, and children, all on the word of a group of aliens that don't know a damn thing about us! And you're the one who is the guiltiest of them all! You built the weapon that did it!"

"And what would your people have done with this kind of information? You would have done the same exact thing!"  
"My people stopped committing genocide after our third World War!" Tucker retorted. "We actually woke up after blasting each other to Hell, so no, we wouldn't do this!"

This was surprising to hear from him. From everything he had been told, the humans were a warlike society. And yet, this guy was telling him that they stopped being like that after an Armageddon of their own. What the hell was going on?

The human slowly calmed himself down, before turning his attention back to him. "Suffice to say, your sphere builders have been feeding you a lot of crap. Why, I don't know, and quite frankly, I don't care. Right now, Ah'm telling' you this for a reason. If you continue on this course, you'll eventually destroy yourself as well. Once your people's usefulness has ended, they'll let you die. Besides, where I come from, we don't blindly follow someone, simply because they seem to have the answers."

"What do you want?"

"Ah wanna know... whether or not you want to save your people from a mistake that'll destroy us all. I wanna know if you wanna atone for that."

Lizzie felt a smile stretch across her face as she heard her brother say that. _'He's well on his way to completing his part of the trial,'_ she thought, glad.

* * *

The concert was a complete success. And, as Seiya and her fellows made their way backstage, she reflected at how relaxing it was to be able to do this, while in search for their Princess.

"How long do you think until we find her?" Yaten shouted over the din.

"We're probably going to have to transfer to another school to pull this off!" Seiya replied. "The only question is where?"

Nodding thoughtfully, the leader of the Starlights opened the door to their dressing room... and stopped, staring at the number of intruders waiting for them.

"Sailor Starfighter," one of them said, his glasses enhancing his deep blue eyes. "We need to talk."

The only thing that kept the three of them from transforming right on the spot was the fact that two of them were Guardians, warriors of Existence. They possessed the training and power to take on a Sailor Senshi in battle. And another was in fact one of the Senshi of this Solar System. Neptune, if Seiya remembered Taiki's information correctly.

The male Guardian stood up. "I'm James Potter, and this my wife, Lily. This is Sailor Neptune, Belldandy, Keiichi Morisato, Amara Tenoh, Gi Shang, and Kwame Kambuto." His eyes bored into the Senshi before him. "I would like to know why you haven't revealed yourself to the Scouts, especially since Sakar has targeted this world for destruction."

Taiki pushed past her sister, returning the penetrating stare. "It's not our concern," she replied. "You know why we're here, Mister Potter."

"Oh yes… to find your long lost Princess Kakyuu. Don't you think that stopping Sakar and the Deadly Alliance might actually help you accomplish that mission, girls? I mean, it's a tad difficult to locate someone on a planet, when said planet is nothing but an ever expanding dust cloud."

Gi raised a hand. "Question; why are you calling them girls?" she asked. "They're guys, the last I heard."

Belldandy smiled slightly, holding back a chuckle. "Don't believe everything you see, Gi. That's actually a disguise. A very advanced one, but a disguise nevertheless."

"Big time." Potter grinned at Gi's confused expression. "The Moon Kingdom utilized a magical device known as a Luna Pen to hide someone from their enemies, but it could only do that towards whatever gender they already were. Now, Kinmoku utilizes shape shifting magic to physically alter their gender, if not their appearance. In essence, they literally become men, and vice versa."

"Ah."

Keiichi didn't even have to ask what that meant. He had spent a day as a woman, thanks to Skuld's obsessive need to 'protect' her big sister. He had yet to forgive her for that, now that he thought about it.

Getting back to the situation at hand, he raised his hand. "I have to ask... why Earth? Why is everyone so interested in _this_ planet?"

Yaten and Taiki looked at each other, then at him. "You know... we never really thought about it," Yaten replied. "I guess it's because it managed to survive the Dark Kingdom's attacks, and that never happened before."

That satisfied the young tech student, and he sat back.

Kwame took up the conversation. "Look, none of us want you to stop looking for your Princess. It is just... we need your help. Earth needs your help."

"As you're undoubtedly aware, Sailor Moon and her team of Senshi were forcibly evicted from this universe," Potter continued, effortlessly entering the conversation, "as were the Digi-Destined. They're presently on Lunar, fighting the Deadly Alliance. We're only half a year from and Existence wide war, at best. We..."

_"Lily, James. this is Alania. Turn the conversation over to Kwame. I need you to go to the Takanouchi residence. Sora will be there for her trial. Try and make sure she and her Mom understand the seriousness of the situation."_

Sighing, the Guardian's of Magic looked at each other in exasperation. "Sorry Starlights, but we have other duties to attend to," James said after a moment. "Sailor Neptune, if you would be so kind as to continue on with this conversation..."

"Sure."

Once again cursing the number of duties they had to deal with, the two Guardians teleported away to meet Sora.

* * *

A golden streak shot through the asteroid, moving too fast to be effectively tracked by any tracking system. It past a small ship, carrying one Suliban warrior, before altering its trajectory accordingly.

Within the next few hours, that streak would shoot by Yggdrasil's still invisible sensor grid, and bypass the fleet that surrounded Earth, readying itself for its confrontation with the heroes of the world.

Its message was clear.

Sailor Galaxia was coming.

* * *

Well, at long last, here is Chapter Thirty. Chapter Thirty One will continue both these story arcs. Please read and review. 


	31. Chapter 31

****

Chapter Thirty One

Phoebe looked up as Trip sat down, his expression disbelieving. "It didn't go as you thought?" she asked.

"I didn't try and kill him," he replied, as if that was a thought that had never occurred to him before. "I could have, but I didn't."

"You see, you can control yourself around him. That's good."

Paige nodded. "Well, is he going to help us, or what?" she asked.

The Chief Engineer sat down, sighing. "He needs to think about it, he said. Ah think Ah surprised him with some of the information I gave him concerning the Sphere Builders."

"Not surprising, considering the history of his people," Worf stated. "Because of the amount of help they gave to the Xindi, they had effectively made them their slaves. The intentionally fostered the animosity among the different groups so that they didn't grow too strong." His face relaxed. "I knew two crewmen onboard the _Enterprise-D_ who were both Xindi. One of them was an Insectoid who was part of Geordi's Engineering crew. The other was a Primate in Security. Both of them served with distinction under Captain Picard during their tenure onboard."

Trip was impressed despite himself. He had thought the biggest surprise was when he learned that Worf was a part of Starfleet, and holding the unique position of being the first and only Klingon in the fleet. But now he learned that the Xindi were also part of this Federation. He had also learned that the name _Enterprise_ would survive into the Twenty Fourth Century.

Unfortunately, time was ticking down for him. Wheeler and Linka didn't have time. But what else could he do?

Lizzie smiled as she sat down next to him. "You took the first steps, Trip," she said. "You don't have to like him, you just have to trust him."

"Which is easier said than done," Piper stated, entering the room. "I know I wouldn't be able to forgive a person if they killed one of my sisters." _'Still haven't,'_ she thought, Prue's death still haunting her after all of these years.

Trip noticed the shift in the eldest sister's face, and knew that she understood loss pretty well. "Ah'm sorry. Ah keep forgettin that Ah'm not the only to lose loved ones."

Piper nodded at that, before forcing herself back into a leader role. "Well, if we're ever going to figure what to do next, we're going to need him. So let's hope that you were enough to change his mind."

Worf stood there, observing them all. "With all of the information that he has been given, he will have no other option but to help us. Honor will demand no less."

"Hate to break it to you, but a race of beings who create something for the sole purpose of genocide don't strike me as very honorable."

"But Klingons are also guilty of such crimes," Worf reminded her gently. "An entire species should not be held accountable for the sins of only a few members, or their allies. Degra and the rest of the Xindi are simply victims, as the Klingons were when the Hurk conquered us."

Trip blinked in surprise. He had a hard time picturing Klingons as a conquered race, considering their capabilities as a warrior race. "Ah think we see your point." He sighed. "Ah just hope I can do it."

--

Not our problem," Taiki finally stated, as Neptune's long winded explanation finally came to an end. "The Sunak have long standing ties with Kinmoku. If they've got a problem with Earth, we're not getting involved."

Amara, who had been glaring at Seiya throughout the entire conversation, suddenly snapped her attention to the red head. "You wanna run that by us again?" she snapped. "Last time I recall, you three are living on Earth, regardless of what your mission is."

Kwame and Gi, who had both been silent at this time, both agreed with Amara on that one, though they didn't say it aloud. "Starlights, Sakar is a threat to more than just Earth," the Water Planeteer stated, hopefully softening the emotions of both parties. "Once he's done here, he'll begin a campaign of terror across the cosmos, if the Negaverse doesn't have first rights."

"Again, not our problem." Yaten stood up, her own gaze strong. "The only reason we're here is to find our Princess. Afterwards, we're going back to Kinmoku to begin rebuilding."

Kwame frowned a bit at that. "What happened to her?"

Seiya held up a hand, stopping her fellows from forcibly removing their guests. It was a perfectly reasonable question, and one that they could answer with a degree of certainty. "Galaxia attacked," she replied. "The three of us were forced to leave the planet in an attempt to head her off... but she had anticipated us. Before we could return, her Sailor Animates had attacked. We were able to hold them off, eventually beat them back, but by then, our planet was little more than a funeral pyre, incapable of sustaining life. Our princess wasn't among the bodies we found when we returned."

"We spent the better part of fifty years scouring space," Taiki continued on, picking up where her friend left off. "We arrived here just a few years ago, and set up shop. Our agent is the only one who knew our real identities... until now."

"Guardians, what can we say?" Belldandy asked rhetorically. "Besides, our problems are a little more titanic than yours. If Princess Kakyuu is here, how long do you think it will be before Galaxia herself arrives… if she hasn't already?"

Yaten looked up. "I think we'll be ready for her by then."

"Do not bet on it," Kwame grumbled. "If we are lucky, we will not be around to see that confrontation. The Sunak will be here within the week, and if not them, it will be the Goa'uld."

That statement was enough to catch all three Starlight's attention, and they focused it on the Earth Planeteer. "You want to run that by us again?" Taiki asked. "The Goa'uld are coming to Earth again?"

"Definitely. Galaxia has joined forces with them."

"Oh." Despite the new information, they were still reluctant to get involved in a situation that was clearly not of their making.

Gi looked up, a sudden thought coming to her. "How about a deal?" She waited until she had their attention, before continuing on. "How about we help you find your Princess? In return, you help us against Sakar and his minions."

Yaten looked at her incredulously. "Are you out of your mind?" she got out. "Do you really think...?!"

"Hold on," Taiki suddenly interrupted. "It does hold a ring of fairness to it, Yaten. They're willing to help us with our problem. I think it's only fair that we at least consider helping them in return."

Yaten opened her mouth to protest.

"Could you four give us a few moments?" Seiya asked, letting them know that this was something they would discuss.

Michelle nodded, grabbing Amara by the arm. "Come on, all of you. Let's wait outside."

Amara nodded, wanting to get away from the three disguised warriors before them. She had a little problem with people who thought only of themselves. It was simply degrading.

That, and she didn't like Seiya one bit. Probably just her.

--

Billie looked up as Lizzie returned from the downstairs, her eyes questioning. "Anything?" she asked.

Lizzie shook her head. "My brother isn't ready to forgive Degra just yet," she said. "But he's learning not to judge species simply by what they did, or by the information they had been given."

"Manipulation. Great." The young witch turned her head. "Hey Paige, do ya think the Elders will give us extra shopping hours if we take out extra terrestrials?"

"... No idea. We could always ask Piper and Phoebe. They seem to know what's going on better than we do."

Even Lizzie, who was a collection of spiritual energy, was curious as well. The two full blooded Halliwell sisters did seem to know something about her brother. They treated the Klingon spirit as if he was an old acquaintance of theirs. Something was up, but neither woman was giving up anything.

Billie finally shrugged. "Well, for whatever reason, they know, and they're not talking. Not that it matters to the present problem."

"Very good. We'll make a witch out of you yet." Paige patted the young girl on the shoulder. "Now come on. We've got to get going."

Billie nodded, getting up. "Well, let's go kick some alien ass."

"Not yet." Phoebe walked into the room. "We need Degra's help to get past their defenses. And he hasn't said anything."

Before any of them could say anything else, Phoebe's cell phone rang again. She quickly had it against her ear, listening to whoever was on the line. Her expression grew darker and more concerned with each second. "Thanks," was all she said, hanging up.

"What is it?" Paige asked.

Phoebe didn't answer her... but she did have an answer.

--

"The Weapon is gone?!" Degra and Trip shouted at the same time.

Phoebe nodded, taking a step back by the force of their shout. "My contact just informed me that it was taken by a race known as the Goa'uld, and shipped to another realm."

The implications of her report were staggering, at least to Trip. He had very little knowledge of the Goa'uld, Teal'c and Bre'tac being the only Jaffa he had met so far. But those two Jaffa had told him a great deal about their enemy. Mad with power, believing themselves to be gods, and willing to do whatever it took to maintain that power. Chulak was but one example of the atrocities they committed.

And now they had the power to destroy an entire planet.

Moving quickly, the Starfleet Officer cut Degra's bounds. As the ropes fell, he hauled the man to his feet. "Okay, you were given falsified information. Ah can accept that. You didn't see any reason to doubt their word. Ah can understand that, too." He brought the Primate closer. "But the Goa'uld are part of something larger. If they can find the resources to take your weapon, how long do you think it'll be before they come for _your_ people? Before they go after the Sphere Builders? What will you do, when your fleets are surrounded by larger, and more advanced fleets of ships, crewed by warriors who are under orders to wipe out all resistance?"

Degra looked visibly shaken. The thought of everything he ever knew being destroyed a group of mad beings was enough to frighten him. He looked at the human before him, seeing that same fear. "What do you want from me?" he asked.

Trip turned to Phoebe, saw her nod. "Ah need your help. They're gonna use your pride and joy to destroy an alternate Earth, after they finish and upgrade it. Then they're gonna go and attack your home worlds. Ah'll need the schematics, and Ah'll need your help to tell your fellows that their weapon is gone." He paused for a second. "Ah'm gonna ask you to trust me," he added.

The Primate frowned a bit, thinking it through. "Very well," he said at long last. "The information is on my ship, in the computer. But the only transporter that can get there is down in the tunnels."  
Phoebe nodded. "We're planning on heading down there in force anyway, so nothing's changed. We simply need to change our mission statement a bit."

"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's get going!"

--

James reappeared, catching all of them by surprise. Kwame even was brought out of a stupor. "Lily needs to talk to the two of you," he said immediately, pointing at Amara and Michelle. "I think it concerns Miss Takanouchi's weapon trial."

After the Star Lights had finished packing up, they had all vacated to their apartment nearby. Afterwards, the three Senshi had retreated into another room to confer, or argue, as they were rather loud.

The two of them looked at each other, then at him. "Will you all be okay?" the Senshi asked.

Belldandy nodded. "We'll be fine. Go take care of your business. After all, it's been what... six hours since we showed up here?"  
"Too long," Kwame grumbled, wiping the sleep from his eyes. "Go on, we have things under control here."

Amara looked at the small group. "If you're sure...?" When they nodded, she turned to James. "Well, let's go then."

When the three of them vanished, Gi sat up straighter, turning her attention to Belldandy. "Well, that's definitely not good," she said. "And who is Miss Takanouchi?"

Belldandy smiled. "Sora Takanouchi is one of the Digi-Destined," she replied. "Their Keeper of Love if I am not mistaken. I wasn't aware she was back."

"Well, judging by how Mister Potter was acting, I'm going to say that she won't be staying."

Keiichi looked at the closed door. "Well, there's no point of worrying about it. We have our own problems. These three, for starters."

It was a valid concern. What would they eventually decide? Would they accept their offer, or say no, and kick them out? There were many variables in play here that none of them knew about.

As they all waited, tensing for a possible confrontation, the doors opened, allowing Seiya, Taiki, and Yaten to enter the room, their eyes guarded. It seemed that there was dissension among the ranks, but they weren't going to admit it.

Kwame stood up. "Well?" he asked for all of them.

Seiya looked at Yaten, who looked away. "Well, it wasn't unanimous, but we've decided after careful consideration to accept your offer. You help us find the Princess, we'll help you fight Sakar and Goa'uld."

The Earth Planeteer barely managed to stop himself from breathing out in relief. "We shall start immediately, then." He looked up to the heavens. _"Gaia, can you scan the vicinity of Tokyo, and locate any unique power surges that are not human?"_ Gaia replied, starting her scan. _"There's one within the Tokyo region, but it keeps moving quickly. I'd say whoever or whatever it is, it's searching for something. It's has a similar energy to those three you're meeting with right now."_ Kwame cut the mental connection, turning to the Starlights. "Princess Kakyuu is already in Tokyo," he said. "But her movements are erratic. Gaia believes that she is looking for something."

"Give me a moment,"

"Thank you, Gaia."

Taiki frowned, remembering something from a long time ago. "Perhaps she is still looking for the Light of Hope," she replied.

"Light of Hope?" Gi looked as clueless as Kwame felt. They had never heard of such a thing before.

The most intelligent of the Starlights looked at them for a moment, realizing that they had no idea what she was referring to. "The Light of Hope is the Starseed... the soul, if you will... of the legendary Sailor Soldier. It was said that she was the one who finally defeated Chaos."

"Every living being in the universe has a Starseed," Yaten began. "It's one of the cornerstones of life and reincarnation. But the one's that last forever belong to the Sailor Senshi. If Galaxia is able to acquire every Senshi Starseed in the galaxy, she would have enough power to remake it in her own twisted image."

That was enough to send a tingle down everyone's spines. Not exactly the kind of conversation one would have around the dinner table.

"Well, one thing at a time," Belldandy stated. "Let's go get Princess Kakyuu. Then we can go from there."

Everyone liked that idea. It certainly saved on arguing.

--

The Underworld went about its business, most of it unaware of what was happening within its levels, or of the intruders that had commandeered one such spot.

But they would soon know that the Charmed Ones would be there.

A swirl of lights, and blues orbs appeared, bathing the dimly lit tunnels in luminance. Almost a dozen people emerged, armed to the teeth with weapons, vanquishing potions, and simple humanoid determination.

The humans and one primate among them crouched, ready for an attack of some kind. Worf stayed standing, sweeping the area with his glare. "We are clear," he growled.

Trip started forward, phase pistol out and ready. "This way?" he asked.

Phoebe nodded, starting forward. "Let's get this over with. I want them gone."

No one had any objections to that, as they all started forward, Phoebe and Piper staying protectively near Degra, ready for anything.

"How do we get close enough to them without getting blasted?" Paige asked quietly. "They'll know that he's not onboard the ship."

"True. My access codes may not work anymore." Degra observed Worf for a second. "Perhaps we should send in the spirit first… seeing as how he can't be killed."

"While I would take offense to that, I shall let it slide for now. He is right, as I am already dead." Worf stepped forward. "But the rest of you would have to enter eventually."

"He's right. The Xindi are capable of locatin' anybody that doesn't belong with them," Trip added. "We're gonna have to go in and take 'em by surprise."

Piper smiled. "We like that plan. It always work for us."

"Well, let's make sure it works now." Phoebe checked her tricorder. "Three Xindi guards are directly ahead. Piper, freeze them."

The eldest Charmed One nodded, flicking her hands once. Instantly, the three warriors in question froze directly in mid step, as if they were in a television series with incredible computer graphics.

Trip blinked in surprise. "Okay, that's a neat trick." He quickly stunned all three of them.

Billie grinned. "We like it. Let's stay alive to live another day."

"Let's move."

--

The Insecotoids quickly placed the last of the ore into the transporter area, stepping away. _"That is the last of it," _one said.

The Primate nodded, activating the transporter. "Our primary mission is over. Detonate the ionic charge once we're all out of this place. These… natives cannot be allowed to utilize our technology."

"All charges set up," the Reptilian reported, his scaly face split in a grin. "Hopefully, it will take out this entire place in one felled swoop."

"Then let us depart."

"What of Degra?"

The Primate had held off making any sort of judgment concerning the creator of their salvation. "He is expendable," he said at long last. "If we are lucky, the natives will kill him. If not... we can always come back to finish the job."

"Of course." The Reptilian made his way back.

And was promptly drilled in the back with a beam of ruby red energy.

The Primate quickly dropped as a vial of something flew overhead, detonating on the stone brace above him. "Those humans are here, and they are armed!" he shouted.

Trip ducked back as several Xindi entered the area, already firing. "Why couldn't you just freeze him?" he asked Piper.

"I tried to!" Piper retorted. "He didn't like the idea, obviously!"

"They're using a dampening field to protect themselves from any changes around them!" Degra replied. "We came prepared for any contingencies!"

"That's something you should've told us _before_ we left!" Paige shouted, ducking as an energy blast shot overhead.

"I'm heading this way!" Phoebe shouted, pointing in one direction. "Cover me!"

Trip nodded, gesturing. "Worf, more of them will show up! Get Degra in there!"

Worf nodded. "I shall!" Grabbing the Xindi scientist, he charged forward, using his own body as a shield, while Degra tried to keep up.

Phoebe quickly slipped behind another pillar of rock, making her way forward until she was on their right flank. Bringing her phaser up, she fired three heavy stun blasts.

Three of the Xindi suddenly spasmed as they were hit, dropping like flies. The Insectoid turned around, launching a blast from his own weapon. She was barely able to get out of the way in time before it hit. "I really need a new day job," she grumbled to herself.

Running full tilt, Worf used his body as a battering ram, slamming into the force field right in front of him. It fizzed, failing dramatically as it met consolidated spiritual energy. No contest.

Four Reptilians suddenly appeared from the left, charging at him. Letting Degra go, the Klingon turned around, striking out with precise blows to them. Four Reptilians hit the ground hard.

Degra didn't even blink at how systematic the violence. He just made his way over to the transporter, quickly requesting the last transport. "They haven't begun sending the mineral up," he reported. "There's enough power for one transport."

Worf nodded, turning back to keeping guard. "How many?"

"About two full grown humanoids."

"Then you and Commander Tucker will go. The Charmed Ones, Billie and myself will deal with those still down here."

Degra quickly set the coordinates, and waited.

It took a while, with Worf defeating four more Xindi, until Trip and Phoebe arrived, running full tilt towards their position. "Piper managed to freeze a whole number of them so we could sneak through," Phoebe explained. "How're we doing here?"

"Degra has managed to program the transporter so he and Commander Tucker can beam up to the ship. Once there, they will have about twenty minutes to disable their engines and weapons."

Trip chuckled. "Yes, Sir." He quickly joined Degra on the pad, waiting. "Let's get this done," he said.

Phoebe checked her phaser. "Good luck. We'll hold out down here for as long as we can."

And that was the last thing they heard before they vanished into quantum mist.

--

The seven Xindi that were onboard were waiting for the first group of miners to arrive. The last of the ore had been placed within a secure loading area, ensuring that they would have no problems concerning contamination. All of the charges had been set, which would be enough to destroy all of their mining equipment. No advanced technology would be allowed to remain intact.

The pads activated, bringing an intense beam of energy onboard the ship. Quickly, the beam began to take shape; arms, legs, torsos.

And before any of the Xindi could react, Trip's pistol was out, hitting each and every single one of them with pinpoint accuracy.

The Xindi scientist stepped over the bodies of his stunned comrades, king his way over to one of the computer consoles. "It looks like there was a message here from the High Command," he stated. "But someone erased it. Let me see if I can…" A small shout of triumph let Trip know that he had gotten it.

The silence following it though, was enough to tell him that everything he had told the Xindi scientist had just been confirmed. He stayed quiet, allowing him to absorb it coming from his own people. "It's hard, isn't it?" he asked. "To hear the same thing from both your people and your enemy?"

Degra turned to him, eyes full of shock. "I didn't want to believe it," he replied quietly. "I guess… because I knew it was true. But, why would they want it?"

"Why does any power hungry ruler want a weapon that annihilate planets? To destroy their enemies." Trip stepped up to him. "I have it on good authority that the Xindi are going to be allies with Earth at some point, working alongside them even. Ah think… Ah think that's a goal worth workin' for."

The two men, human and Xindi, stared at each other for a moment, as the ramifications of what that would mean became clear. No more war. No more hatred.

Degra stepped away from the computer screen, thinking about what Commander Tucker had told him, both at the house and here, right now, on his ship. _'Were the sphere builders wrong?'_ he asked. _'Are the humans… really dangerous… or did we launch an attack on a people that didn't deserve it?'_

A sudden sound of someone drawing a weapon caught his attention, and he looked over the human's shoulder. "Look out!" he shouted, pushing him out of the way.

But the Xindi guard had already fired. And there was no time for him to move out of the way.

The disruptor blast struck him dead center in the chest. He pitched backwards, hitting the ground without so much as a groan of pain.

Trip quickly brought his pistol up, hitting the Xindi again in the face. Not even giving him a second thought, he looked back down on Degra. "Hey, you okay?" He quickly checked his pulse, and heaved a sigh of relief. "Just stunned. For a moment there, Ah thought you were going to croak on me." He quickly grabbed his communicator. "Phoebe, tell the Xindi that someone deleted a Priority One message in their data files. Degra was able to get it back."

__

"No problem!"

Phoebe replied, over the din of the firefight. _"Let's hope that they're willing to listen!"_

"Ah hope they are. Tucker out."

--

It took them awhile to bring it all down to a tolerable level, not to mention having to wake up Degra, but eventually, the Xindi Scientist and his human allies were able to tell them what they had learned. Their reactions went from disbelief, to hesitation, to shock. But afterwards, the lot of them went into a group meeting, and discussed their options.

"What do you think they're going to agree on?" Billie asked.

"If we're lucky, they'll agree to in planetary peace," Piper replied. "Ain't that right, Pheebs?"

Phoebe nodded, distracted. "Yeah." She looked over at where Trip was standing, talking to Lizzie and Worf. "What I don't get, is why would Gul Dukat go out of his way to kill Worf. What's in it for him?"

The eldest Charmed One sighed. Leave it to Phoebe to focus on a mystery that they would probably never solve. "Phoebe, leave it to those who are skilled with contending with aliens. We've got our own problems to deal with."

"I know. It's just… it doesn't make sense."

"Let them figure it out."

Paige suddenly perked up. "Hey, here comes Degra."

Degra reached them, his gaze somber. "My fellows will be returning to our universe to consult with the council on this matter," he explained. "With a little luck, an emissary will be sent to Earth, and Earth will accept it." He handed Trip a datapad. "This is everything you need to know of our weapon. Hopefully, they'll help you."

"...Thank you." Trip took them. "What about you?" he asked, as he and Worf joined them.

Degra turned to him. What he had to say was extremely difficult for him. "I will be staying here for a time. Someone had to have tried to destroy that message, so that we would complete the weapon on schedule. I want to find out who it is."

Phoebe nodded. People tended not to like being left out of the loop. "Well, there's a city hidden in San Francisco Bay, about twenty miles from shore. You can use their sensor grid to find if there are any Xindi that aren't supposed to be here."

Nodding, he turned around to Trip. "Commander, I doubt that anything I say or do will ever undo the damage I've helped cause. But, I'm certainly going to try."

Trip nodded. "Degra, you saved my life when you had no reason to. I can't forgive you for what you've done… but I can forgive you for not knowing otherwise." He took a deep breath. "You wouldn't have done any of this without the information from the Sphere Builders. In that area, you're not at fault, and don't tell yourself otherwise. Now, go and find that bastard."

Degra nodded. "I will… and thank you for putting this in perspective." He turned to Phoebe. "Can you make the arrangements?"

"I can and will. Count on it."

Nodding, the Xindi scientist walked back over to his group, probably to give them their orders and to say good bye.

Lizzie appeared next to Trip, smiling. "Congratulations, big brother. Not only have you managed to forgive Degra, but you were also able to warn them of the plot. Ah'd say that you have completed your part of the Trial."

Trip looked at her. Up until that moment, he hadn't even given it a second thought. But now… he felt a lot better. "Ah have you to thank for it, and all of you as well."

Piper grinned. "Glad we could help. Well, it's time to get out of here, then. We need to send Worf back to the afterlife, and we need to get you back to your friends."

"Ah'll do that right here." Lizzie grabbed his arm, corporeal for the first time. "See ya all later. Hopefully, you'll see each other again… as well as some old friends."

Before any of the them could ask what she meant by that, the Tucker's vanished in a manner similar to a spirits; in a swirling of golden light.

Phoebe looked at her sister. "I wonder what she meant by that," she mused.

"No idea," Piper replied. "By the way Billie, nice throw back there. If you hadn't tossed that potion right in the center of that formation, they'd have probably turned us all into the newest splatter in the Underworld."

Billie shrugged, looking proud. "I had some very good teachers," she replied.

"That you did." Paige slapped her on the back. "Kid, you're going to go places. Demons are going to fear you before too long."

Phoebe smile encouragingly at their young student, but her mind was elsewhere. Despite what Piper said, she understood otherwise. Whatever had happened that brought Dukat to kill Worf, whatever brought Trip here to help fulfill an ancient prophecy, then this was not the end of it.

In fact, she had the feeling, that it was only the beginning.

--

T-Pol stood up as a bright light filled the tunnel they were in, depositing Trip and Lizzie before them. "Trip!" she breathed, before grabbing him in a hug that almost crushed his rib cage. "I thought I'd lost you."

"If ya keep squeezing' like that, I just might!" Trip replied jokingly, though in obvious pain. She let go quickly, blushing slightly. "Ah missed you, too."

Linka looked at him, then at Lizzie. "Well, did you complete your part?" she asked.

Lizzie smiled. "He did, Linka. And now, it is time for us to part. My part in this is done. Now, it is up to you two to complete your task. They can no longer help you."

Trip smiled at her. She had done so much. "Then, I guess this is goodbye," he said, feeling a swell of sadness go through him.

Lizzie nodded. "It is, but don't worry Trip. We'll see each other again some day. Ah'll tell Grandma Tucker that you're all right. But for now, you two need to get back to your ship. Things have advanced since you left. Archer's gonna need his Science Officer and Chief Engineer for what is to come." She began to become transparent, as her energy began to release. "And remember to see beyond the loss, Big Brother, and see the life that is still there, and the people in that life."

Trip nodded as she faded away completely, understanding what she meant. He had to look to the future, like he always did. He had to look beyond prejudice, and embrace what he feared.

He had to embrace his enemy, and make him his friend.

T-Pol gently slipped her hand into his, squeezing it lightly. "Will you be okay, Trip?" she asked gently, as he stared at the spot his little sister once occupied.

Trip looked at her, surprising her with a smile. "Yeah, Ah will. Ah got the chance to say good bye to my sister… and I may have set Xindi-Earth relations down the right path."

Wheeler grinned. There was something within Trip that hadn't been there when they first met. He was happy once again. Anger no longer held its sway over him. "Well, I'm glad that you're better. But you heard what she said. You two are needed back on the surface, so get going."

"Are you going to be all right without us?"

"We'll be fine, Trip. If you'll remember, we're used to surviving against insurmountable odds before."

The Wind Planeteer nodded. "We will be fine, our friends. You have done your part, and now it is our turn." She smiled. "And thank you."

The four of them looked at each other for a moment longer, before Trip held out his hand. "Take care of yourselves, Wheeler."

Wheeler took his hand, sealing the pact. "We will, Commander," he replied. "And we'll be back to kick Sakar's ass clear into the next century."

With their pact sealed, the four of them went their separate ways. Trip and T-Pol would return to the surface, and head back to Hope Island.

Wheeler and Linka made their even deeper into the tunnel, to face whatever trial awaited them. Was victory certain? No, it wasn't. But would they give up? Never.

That was what made them who they were.

--

Across the city of Tokyo, a butterfly flew.

This butterfly was unique. It was shaped like a butterfly, with six legs, and wings. But there was no definition to its form. It was a simple pink red color, with a sort of shimmering surrounding it.

Anyone who saw it was quickly distracted by the arrival of someone they know, or their dog suddenly pulling them in another direction. No one went to follow it as it continued its way to where it hid.

Flying into the park, the butterfly finally landed in a deserted area, as if to rest... and began to grow.

It grew in size, and changed in form. Wings became arms. Its six legs became only two. Its body became more proportionate, becoming a torso with arms and legs attached. And, most importantly, its head became larger, with a set of soft eyes. Hair grew out of the scalp, falling freely down her back.

For a moment, a very beautiful, very naked woman stood in the park, her reddish eyes closing as she breathed in the air. Perfect breasts, perfect butt, there was not a flaw on her entire form. She was the kind of person a whose beauty a man would worship.

But then her hair suddenly pulled itself into a simple hair design, one that Princess probably wore once. A crown of alien design appeared on her head. Her body became covered with a simple red, gold-yellow, and light blue dress, with symbols of an alien kingdom adorning it. To complete the ensemble, a pair of comfortable, but exceedingly sturdy slippers appeared on her feet.

Within the space of almost two minutes, a starseed went from butterfly to person.

Princess Kakyuu took a breath of Japanese air, letting it go in relief. Sometimes, being in such a small form could be extremely exhausting, not to mention dangerous. If Chaos were to find out what she was doing, then all of her forces would come after her. She had to find the Light of Hope, before all was lost.

Sitting down on a park bench, the ancient princess of Kinmoku found herself thinkign of those days, when the Senshi were on their way to becoming full blown allies of the Guardians. Alpha Serenity, Shayera Hall, and Galia, the only one to bridge both of their worlds, proposing the idea of a joint Senshi/Guardian Starfleet crew to her. The _Dynas_, newly commissioned by Alania herself, to serve as the test bed for such a venture.

And then, that fateful day in the Cauldron. The day when Galaxia and the _Dynas_ disappeared.

Within months of that, the day which ended the Senshi's battle with Chaos, Alpha Serenity had left Kinmoku, making her way to the Terran Solar System, and renaming herself Sailor Moon. Kakyuu watched as the Moon Kingdom and its allies forged alliances, with the threat of the Negaverse and Metellus becoming more prevalent, watched as Queen Serenity sacrificed herself and her kingdom to restore peace to Earth, while Sailor Mercury did the impossible, defeating Queen Beryl in battle.

But then, a mere thirty years ago, the impossible happened once again.

She had been in communication with Shayera, when an unidentified energy spike hit the grid. Analysis would later reveal it to be the _Dynas._ Kakyuu immediately knew what that meant, and had sent her Starlights to drive it away.

But Chaos had planned its attack well. With Galaxia's tactical knowledge, Spartan training and sheer power, it had sent its small force of Sailor Animates to deal with Seiya's team.

Shayera, who had recognized the trick, went out to contend with the entity herself… but was intercepted by Sakar. The battle the two of them had was so fierce, that reality itself strained from their power. But, in the end, the Dealer was simply more determined to win, severely injuring the mighty warrior and forcing her into a stasis pod, possibly never to return.

Realizing that they had been outmaneuvered, she had been ready to fight for her people, but some of the civilians got her to a space craft, and helped her escape, just before Chaos struck. She had watched helplessly as her world's biosphere was razed by the creature, while the vessel destroyed her space fleet.

But as she sat there, grieving for the loss of everything she knew, knowing that her guardians would be unable to locate her quickly enough, a tingle in her sense, one so familiar to her that she had to focus on it for a moment. After all, the last time she felt it, was before the _Dynas_ went on its only mission.

And realized that Galaxia had outmaneuvered the monster.

In that last moment of conscious thought, just after she had been forced to take all of Chaos within her own body, she had released her own starseed into space, giving it a chance to find someone who could help her disperse Chaos into all life. She swore to locate the soul of her friend, and this strange warrior.

She had arrived on Earth only seven years ago, and had gone into hiding, utilizing her unique ability to shift from human form to butterfly form of a starseed to look for the Light of Hope. She had felt the Starlights arrive two years after that, but couldn't contact them. The longer they remained in hiding, the longer it would take for Galaxia to find them, and the more of a chance the Earth Senshi, whenever they were restored, to become strong enough to fight off Chaos.

But events were now moving faster than she had thought possible. For starters, the Sailor Scouts, who had been in operation for only two years, as well as a group of heroes known as the Digi-Destined, vanished to only the Gods knew where. Next, Sakar appeared in New York, waging war against Yggdrasil's most powerful goddess and a group of humans that she had never seen before. Finally, most recently, the attack on the Cherry Hill Shinto Temple. Things were starting to cycle out of control, beyond anything she thought possible.

Sighing, the exiled princess of Kinmoku got up, getting ready to change back into a butterfly… but stopped, her sixth sense suddenly going off. Something was not right.

In the years since her planet's destruction, Kakyuu had come to trust her instincts, as they managed to protect her from being captured by Chaos's minions. So when she felt that feeling, she got ready to run.

Suddenly, the skies exploded into color.

The Princess quickly backed up as a dark cloud appeared right above the park, lightning flickering along the edges. It began to spin in a circle, creating the illusion that it was going to become a tornado.

But this was no natural phenomenon. That much, she was certain of.

It was proven when _something_ shot out from the center of it, falling to the ground at near sub sonic speed. Its impact, as was inevitable, created a small crater in its wake. The cloud dissipated, and everything was as it was before.

Except for the crater.

Slowly, Kakyuu approached the hole, ready to spring away at a moment's notice. Every muscle was taut, ready to move at the slightest provocation. Reaching the edge, she looked down… and reeled back in shock. "It can't be," she murmured.

There, laying in the center of the crater, battered and bloody, was the unconscious form of Sailor Moon.

* * *

And here it is. Chapter Thirty One is ready for you all read and review. Please be gentle.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two**

For a moment, silence reigned in the park. Nothing moved so much as a hair.

Kakyuu, her nerves shaken, stared down at the body of the Moon Princess, unable to believe it. Here was one of the missing Senshi, one of the protectors of this world. The most powerful one, in fact. How was she here? What had happened that enabled her to return?

But, as her nerves stopped chattering, and her mind caught up with her eyes, she began to notice little discrepancies. For starters, the Sailor Moon she had seen on news reports wore a standard mid range Senshi uniform of red, white, and blue, the Silver Crystal locket snug on her front bow. A tiara, which was also standard for Senshi of midlevel power, had been on her head, with jewelry located within the meatballs of her family hair style.

The Sailor Moon before her had that same jewelry, with some additional pieces, but that was where the similarities ended. This one was in a uniform that exactly identical to her ancestor, the Great Sailor Alpha Serenity. No tiara, a multicolored skirt, a front bow that resembled angel wings, white boots...

... and two wings emerging from her back.

The resemblance was uncanny. If she didn't know better, she could have sworn that her long dead friend was laid out before her.

The sound of trucks and people approaching quickly reminded her that she was in an open area, and she quickly went down the hole. Hoisting Sailor Moon's body up with effortless strength, she quickly made her way out of the park. The last thing she needed was to answer a whole lot of questions.

In her arms, Eternal Sailor Moon moaned, before falling silent once again.

* * *

"We lost track of her," Clash said.

Zarm almost destroyed the console before him, but managed to rein himself in before that happened. "How do we lose a signature like that?" he asked angrily. "She is an alien! Alien signatures stand out like a sore thumb on Earth!"

"Probably shifted into some other form," Planet supplied. "We don't know the full extent of her abilities yet, and we may never."

_"What would you have us do?"_ Mary asked. _"Myself, Qui-Gon, and Mrs. Sloane are ready to head for Tokyo to help with the search."_

"No. The three of you come back to Hope Island. We're going to need a new strategy to contend with this Galaxia when she shows up." Gaia cut the feed, rubbing her head. "I don't know if this going to get worse before getting better, or if this is just one downward spiral."

"I'd say a downward spiral." Clash stood up, stretching his back out a little. "We're up the creek without a paddle, and no way of knowing whether or not the fleet in orbit can even stop what's coming."

"Then, for all of our sakes," Urd replied, entering the Crystal Chamber, "we better hope Stargate Command has got something for us to work with."

* * *

"The communication network is up and running," Hoshi stated, grinning.

Anderson and Maybourne were by her side in an instant, taking a look at the screen. "Are you absolutely certain?" the colonel asked.

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt. We can now maintain perfect communication with the fleet in orbit, as well as communication with just about every military force on the planet." She lowered her head. "But the fun ends there, I'm afraid. There's no way of knowing if it'll hold under the pressure we're going to be putting it under."

Anderson grinned. "But we do have a chance at it, and that's what matters most. Good work, Ensign. I'd recommend you for a promotion to Lieutenant with my superiors, if you were in the Army." He paused. "I'll talk to Captain Archer about that."

Hoshi grinned. "I'd like that a whole lot. In the meantime, I'm going to get something to eat."

"I'll get on the horn with General Hammond," Maybourne replied. "He'll want to know that we're in business. You two kids enjoy yourselves. You've earned it."

Anderson waited until the NID colonel had walked out of hearing distance, before chuckling. "Dinner at my place again?" he asked.

Hoshi smiled. "Remember the last time we had dinner together at your house?"

"I thought it went okay."

"I just make it a habit not to sleep with a guy on the first date."

"We're dating?"

Hoshi shrugged. "I have no idea," she replied. "I don't even know how dating can be done between people of two different centuries. Does having dinner with someone count as such?"

"… … It depends. I mean, we weren't really planning on sleeping together, now were we?"

"No, I doubt that was the original intent."

"Too true."

Hoshi nodded. "Well, isn't this the day when Senator Kinsey delivers his speech, revealing the Stargate Program to the world?"

"… Yes," he replied. An idea had begun percolating in his mind. "How about we watch it onboard your ship?" he asked.

Hoshi frowned thoughtfully for a second. "Let me get permission, first." Bringing her communicator up, she pressed the SEND button. "Sato to _Enterprise_."

_"Archer here."_

"Sir, Captain Anderson has asked for permission to come onboard. I wanted to run it by you first before I did anything."

Even through the comm link, she could tell he was smiling. _"Brig him aboard, Hoshi,"_ he said. _"I've got someone for the two of you to meet anyway."_

"Thank you, Sir." She put the communicator back into her sleeve pocket. "Well, that takes care of that."

Anderson nodded. "I wonder who it is he wants us to meet."

The semi familiar wash of a transporter effect washed over her. "I think we'll find out," she replied.

* * *

Kwame looked at the hole, perplexed. "You say that something landed here? And now, it is gone?" he asked. Thanks to Gaia's abilities, speaking Japanese was as easy as speaking in their native tongue. There would be no problem with translating, which was always a very good thing.

The police officer nodded, still perplexed. "I don't know what to make of it," he replied. "There should be something here, but there isn't. But, something was here. Something landed here."

The decent sized hole in the ground bore witness to that fact. Its size was enough to tell them that whatever hit, didn't fall from space, but it did hit at a high speed, nevertheless.

Gi climbed down into the hole, looking around. "Whatever hit, it was roughly human sized," she said, giving it a once over. "I doubt that it could leave under its own power, so someone had to pick it up."

"Picked her up," Belldandy corrected. "It was a person… from the future."

Everyone turned to her. "How can you tell?" Keiichi asked.

The First Class Goddess looked at the hole. "I can sense the energy. It feels like a level two temporal disruption. Involuntary time travel."

"Ah."

"Any idea on how find out who it is?" Gi asked.

"No." Belldandy looked behind her. "With all of Yggdrasil's defenses aimed at protecting the planet from destruction, we can't even scan for... whoever it is." She smiled. "On the other hand, I can tell you who it is who left with our mystery person."

"Who?"

"... Princess Kakyuu. She went in that direction."

Kwame smiled. "Well, let us go get the Starlights, and go meet our very first princess."

* * *

Kakyuu watched Sailor Moon's form as she breathed in and out. On her chest, the Silver Crystal glowed softly as it healed her wounds, internal and external. Without anything else to do, she found herself locating similarities between the Moon Princess and her ancestor.

She found a disturbingly large number of similarities. In fact, with the exception of the hair, a platinum blond color instead of the pure silver of her bloodline, she was looked exactly like her old friend.

_'But where did she come from?'_ she asked herself. _'And how did she achieve the ultimate level of the crystal in so short a time? Alpha Serenity had had that final form sealed away for all eternity.'_

A slight moan alerted her to the fact that Sailor Moon was coming back to consciousness. Sitting up straighter, she took around her surroundings.

Since coming to Earth, Kakyuu had been on the move, never stopping for more than a day to sleep. To further protect herself, she had been living in derelict buildings across Tokyo. She hadn't suffered from hunger, or weight loss. Her butterfly form made sure of that.

Slowly, Sailor Moon's eyes opened, taking in her surroundings. "Where?" she croaked.

"Shh. You're safe," Kakyuu whispered. "You're back in Tokyo."

"Tokyo?" The Moon Princess sat up, looking at her savior more clearly. "Princess Kakyuu? What are you doing here?"

Kakyuu looked at her, surprised. "You know who I am?" she asked. "Last I recall, we had never met."

The other's eyes widened, before narrowing. "What a minute... what year is it?"

"... I believe Earth calendars call it 1993."

The look of shock on her face was priceless. "I've… I've gone back in time…"

"Gone back in time? … Who are you?"

Sailor Moon sat up completely, ignoring the phantom pains going through her. "I am Sailor Moon, Princess of the Moon. But… I am also Neo Queen Serenity, ruler of Crystal Tokyo." Her gaze fell. "Or at least… I was."

"Was?" The Kinmoku Princess had never heard of Crystal Tokyo, but if this woman's story was true, then Crystal Tokyo didn't even exist yet.

"Something… happened. I was waiting at the appointed place, waiting for my daughter to return from this time, when there was a sudden blast of energy. I tried to use the Silver Crystal, but whatever it was, it was too powerful. The field surrounded me, protected me… but…" Serenity broke off from her story, tears beginning to well up in her eyes.

Kakyuu, while admittedly not an expert on temporal mechanics, caught on well enough. "You watched your friends and husband simply… vanish into nothingness," she said quietly.

She nodded, tears falling. "I used to think watching my friends die was horrible enough. But… to simply watch them win out of existence… is there no fate worse?"  
"I can think of one that is almost as terrible… watching everything you love become a barren wasteland… but knowing that your people are still alive, trapped under the control of a creature, possessing the form of your dear friend."

"Galaxia?"

"Yes… how do you know of her?"

Serenity stood up, stretching. "In three years time, the Sailor Scouts and I are going to join forces with your Starlights. Working together, we were able to free Galaxia from Chaos's control." She smiled. "Seiya and the others were able to overcome their own hatred, and helped her adjust to being a free woman, and she later moved to Crystal Tokyo, setting up a shop of some kind. She became something of a surrogate aunt to my little girl."

Kakyuu smiled as well. "I'm glad to hear that, Serenity," she said. "At least I know she will be free again." Her eyes narrowed. "Unfortunately, you have come a particularly terrible time. The Death Dealer Sakar is here on Earth, and a possible alien invasion is on the horizon."

The Senshi turned around, looking at her. "When is it not?" she asked. "But a more disturbing puzzle is Sakar. He shouldn't be on the warpath for another nine years, due to the prophecy of Fire and Wind."

"But there is more. Apparently, he has joined forces with the Negaverse and Queen Beryl."

_That_ got a reaction out of her. "Queen Beryl is dead. Mercury defeated her, and I killed Metellus."

"Apparently, they are harder to kill than you realized. The Goa'uld is on the move as well. Their defeat at the hands of Earth forces has not dimmed their determination."

"Yeah, that's true."

Kakyuu looked around. As interesting as this conversation was, she did have other problems to deal with as well. "Well, I doubt we will be safe here for long," she said after a moment. "Considering how things are playing out, I wouldn't be surprised if Galaxia herself came to Earth ahead of schedule."

* * *

Galaxia observed the Earth from a distance, marveling at how she hadn't been aware of this place for so long. It was a beautiful sphere, blue with rings of white and green. The only planet left in this Solar System that could sustain life, as the Negaverse had destroyed the majority of the kingdoms here. They had almost destroyed the Earth as well.

But they ran into some resistance on the Moon Kingdom.

Even in the Shadow Galactica Empire, the empire Chaos created using Galaxia's nearly limitless power, the possessed Senshi had heard that Queen Beryl and her master, the almighty Negaforce, had encountered a Senshi unlike any before her. Power wise, she could only utilize only one purely defensive spell, making her the weakest Senshi in Existence. Her intelligence was second to none though, and apparently her combat ability was superior to any of the others. Upon sending an emissary to the Negaverse, she learned that it was true.

Sailor Mercury, the strategist of Princess Serenity's court, and the closest thing to a second daughter Queen Serenity had ever had, had defeated the most formidable of Beryl's seven Shadow Warriors, then defeated General's Zoicite and Kilrah. She then challenged Beryl herself, the strongest corporeal force of evil in Existence… and beat her. She had also bought enough time for the Moon Queen to utilize the Silver Crystal's awesome power, forcing them back to the Negaverse, and sending the Starseeds to the future. To be able to match blades with that warrior would be the greatest honor a warrior to have. _'A pity that she is on Lunar,'_ she thought. _'Perhaps I will get the chance to face her later.'_ She had to actually force her power back before it became noticeable to the fleet's sensors. Being caught so close to her goal would do her no good.

And, deep within her soul, Sailor Galaxia shuddered at the dark triumph emanating from Chaos. _'Princess… Mother… I'm sorry. I've failed you both,'_ she thought, wishing she could cry.

* * *

Archer watched as the transporter chief completed the final part of the re-materialization process, depositing Hoshi and Anderson on the _Enterprise_. "Welcome aboard, Captain Anderson," he said, holding out his hand.

Anderson took the proffered hand, remembering that Starfleet personnel didn't salute each other. "It's good to be onboard, Captain Archer." He looked at the two people who were standing next to him, and frowned. "Are these a few of the people you wanted us to meet," he said.

Archer nodded. "This is Captain Kathryn Janeway, captain of the Federation Starship _Voyager_. And this is Lieutenant Commander Tuvok, her Chief of Security."

"Commander."

"Captain. Ensign."

Hoshi nodded. "Sir. _Zhel-lan._"

Janeway frowned slightly, though slightly impressed with the young woman's flawless vulcanese. "Ensign Sato, I don't particularly care for the standard 'Sir,'" she said, though kindly. She was remembering Harry's first day on _Voyager_, when he was still fresh out of the Academy. "Please call me Captain."

"Yes, S… Captain."

A small smile tugged on her mouth. "Thank you." She abruptly turned around. "I understand that there is something earth news coverage that we all need to see. Any idea what it's about?"

Archer nodded. "You're better off watching it, Captain," he replied. "I doubt I could explain it to you as well. Almost everyone is in the Mess Hall right now."

Hoshi nodded, before leading Anderson in the direction of the main eating establishment onboard. It was going to be quite the statement, even for them.

* * *

Kinsey straightened his tie out slightly, checking himself in the full body mirror one more time. An immaculately dressed, though aging man stared back at him. The consummate politician at his finest.

His aide came in, holding the Senator's speech in his hand. "Sir, the press is set up and waiting," he said nervously.

Kinsey's eyes darted over to him, trying to remember what the man's name was. "Thank you, Mister Groski." He took the speech from him, before following him out of the dressing room. The news reporters were going to have quite a few questions for him, and he was going to have to answer them to the best of his ability.

Reaching the stage, he stood patiently, listening to the White House representative as he tried to answer some of the questions they were throwing at him. All he needed to do was wait to be introduced.

"And now members of the Press, the Chairman of the Appropriation's Committee, Senator Robert Kinsey."

Keeping his face stoic, though relishing the chance to be in the spotlight once again, Kinsey stepped forward amidst polite clapping and rapid questions being fired at him almost immediately. He held his hands up, having them all quiet down.

If he knew how the press worked, they were going to have new questions by the end of the day.

* * *

Normally, Kakyuu wouldn't be out in public for very obvious reasons. Her style of dress was very different from what people on Earth were wearing. It would draw attention to herself, and attention was something she didn't need right now.

But Serenity had a transformation device that allowed her to wearing civilian clothing, as well as hiding her appearance. She called it a Luna Pen.

Presently, both rulers were safely within the confines of a massive crowd, as they all gathered around the front window of an electronics store, all watching the various televisions as they aired the press conference going on in Washington D.C..

Serenity pushed her sunglasses up slightly, observing everything that was happening with a great deal of surprise. "Senator Kinsey?" she whispered quietly. "What's so important that he needs to make a public appearance, and appear on Japanese television?"

Kakyuu looked around, her soft red eyes taking in the aging man standing in the podium. "What is so special about this man?" she asked.

"Well, in this day and age, Kinsey was the head of the Appropriations Committee. He was responsible for the funding to the Stargate Program here on Earth." She peered at the television for a moment in irritation. "He goes on to become Vice President of the United States, and was a prominent member of the Trust. … He'll also be infested by a Goa'uld several years from now."

"Probably not, especially if history is changing as you suspect."

One of the women looked at them. "It's starting." They took the hint, and shut up quickly.

_"My fellow Americans, and citizens the world over. I stand before you all as a humble United States senator, with news that will change the fabric of the world._

_A mere week ago, an alien race known as the Sunak launched a preemptive assault upon our planet, causing almost incalculable losses in property and life. There are still places within several countries without any form of humanitarian aide. This is a crisis of apocalyptic proportions._

_However, what was known to only a select few, was the fact that this isn't the first time the Earth has had to contend with extraterrestrials. More than five thousand years ago, an alien race known as the Goa'uld came to Earth with the intent of enslaving us. According the research done by Doctor Daniel Jackson, these aliens were responsible for many of our oldest myths and stories, as they proclaimed themselves our Gods, and even took human hosts. _

_The people at the time were able to drive them off, forcing them to leave, but they took with them a number of slaves, and populating a great many worlds located within our galaxy. This was something that we weren't aware of, and had been ignorant of the signs… except for one thing._

_In the year 1929, an Egyptologist, Professor Langford, discovered an ancient alien device that we call a Stargate. It is a device that allows us to instantaneously travel from world to world. After the loss of one of the team in the 1940's, it was locked away… until just a few short years ago._

_For these last few years, within Cheyenne Mountain, the United States Government has been operating a program concerning the Stargate. Under General Hammond's command, a select group of men and woman from our great country have successfully defended our planet from the Goa'uld, and freed several other worlds from their tyranny. Until now, this has been classified. But present circumstances have forced us to reconsider our stance on the issue, and agree on full disclosure. In fact, four days before this was scheduled, we had sent word to our allies in Europe, Asia, and Africa, and have asked them to meet us for a briefing on our next move. With their support, we will be able to pull off the impossible once again."_

Serenity snorted at this statement. The militaries of the Twentieth Century had very little chance of standing against a bombardment from space, especially against a technologically superior force like the Sunak or the Goa'uld. "The bastard seriously needs to get a fracking dose of reality," she stated under her breath.

Kakyuu blinked at her use of language, though she was perfect agreement. "Politicians will never change, regardless of the planet you're on," she replied. "Or time period."

"Hmm… good point, buddy."

The two women smirked in shared commiseration as to the idiocy of many politicians, and this one in particular. If they used their common sense as much as they used their political skills, then war and hunger would become a thing of the past. Disease would quickly follow.

The two of them started to make their way through the crowd, not needing to listen to the hushed conversations going on around them to know what they were saying. Besides, they had to get out of the open before someone recognized them. Someone that they didn't want recognizing them.

"If I remember correctly, Sailor Neptune has been in operation for about a year," Serenity stated, calling up her Minister of Diplomacy's explanation. "She was busy doing cleanup after the Negaverse's attack on Earth, while we were focused on the Doom Tree and the Negamoon family." She paused, as if something suddenly occurred to her. "She hadn't tried to bring Amara into the fray just yet, though Amara knew what was at stake."

"What are they like? Amara and… Neptune?"  
"… They are the two who will do whatever it takes to complete a mission, even if they have to die. Amara is a racer, hoping to make it professional. Michelle is a violinist and painter, whose works are displayed at the museum. As Senshi… they'll be the most proficient tag team of us all."

"Maybe we should look for one of them. They might be able to help us."

The Queen stopped, though not out of surprise at her suggestion. It was for an entirely different reason. "Actually… I think we won't have to look very far," she said, pointing down the sidewalk. Confused, the Princess followed her finger.

There, obviously trying to locate their Princess in a very obvious manner, were the Starlights. Next to them, surprisingly enough, were two of the Planeteers. Kwame and Gi, if she remembered their name correctly.

And Keiichi… and Belldandy.

Kakyuu looked at Serenity, shrugged. "Well, I wasn't planning on revealing myself to them until I had located the Light of Hope, but I doubt it is mere coincidence that they're here. Shall we go say hello?"

"… Might as well."

* * *

"Are you sure that you located her in this area, Gaia?" Gi asked, scanning the crowd in futility.

_"I'm positive, Gi," _Gaia replied telepathically. _"She's within your general vicinity. I just can't give you an exact location."_

"Well, thanks anyway." The Water Planeteer looked around again. "You'd think she would stand out in a crowd," she grumbled.

Seiya nodded, somewhat surprised by this revelation. It was as if Kakyuu had simply become invisible, which was impossible. "Maybe she learned how to disguise herself, like we do."

"Which will make our job even more difficult," Kwame stated in frustration, as two women approached them. He hated it when he had to deal with unknowns in a problem. Wheeler and Linka, on the other hand, thrived on them, which was why they usually solved the toughest problems.

Belldandy looked around as well, but she wasn't really seeing any of the people as they were. Instead, she utilizing her abilities to sense their auras. It was a trick Gods and Goddesses used to locate magical beings within a crowd. That way, they could locate fugitives with a minimum of hassle.

"You know, that won't work, Belldandy. Sensing for the Princess's aura, I mean."

Startled, the First Class Goddess, indeed the whole group of them turned around, laying eyes on two casually dressed women, both who were grinning mischievously. The fact that those two women had stopped when they had reached them, without being noticed, was somewhat surprising.

What was more surprising was the fact that they knew who she was looking for, and how she was trying to do that. That was the kicker. "I-I'm sorry?" she asked, unable think of anything else.

The woman gestured in one direction. "Let's get out of the streets, so we can explain as to how we know who you're looking for." Her smile faded. "And you can explain to us why Kinsey is revealing the Stargate Program to the world."

The short woman watched as the small group started down the street, the Goddess following with a confused expression on her face. Her gaze tracked one of the women, the one wearing the baseball cap. "Found her," she said quietly. "All Animates, prepare to converge on new coordinates. "It's time to take the prize."

She quickly entered a telephone booth, and vanished.

* * *

Archer stood up, stretching out slightly. "Well, that was pretty interesting."

"And Kinsey sounding like it's the military's fault that the Goa'uld attacked us in the first place." Anderson shook his head. "Opportunistic bastard."

Tuvok contemplated the speech for a few moments, his brow furrowed slightly. "Captain Anderson's observation, though crude, is essentially correct. This Senator seems to be tying to subtly influence public opinion concerning the program."

Hoshi nodded, knowing that to be true. If there was one thing that was the same, it was conniving politicians wanting something. In this case, she had the feeling it was Stargate itself.

"Well…" Janeway stood up, appearing almost unaffected by what she had just witnessed. "This has been a very illuminating day. I'm almost sorry to see it end."

"Yeah, that is a crying shame." Anderson finally rose, straightening his coat out. "Well, time to go deal with the backlash." He was really looking forward to the next few weeks of trouble.

Hoshi was up immediately. "I'll walk you to the Transporter Bay."

Janeway watched the two of them as they made their way out, her gaze introspective. She turned to Archer, who had walked over to the window. "I think you should be a little worried about their friendship," she said.

His attention shifted to her. "Why?" he asked. "I doubt that he'll pump her for information about the ship, especially considering the piece of very advanced technology stashed away in Cheyenne Mountain."

"That's not what I'm saying."

"… You're worried about her changing their future."

"Exactly."

Archer was, needless to say, somewhat incredulous at the whole conversation. It was as if she hadn't really read any of the ship's logs. "Uh, I hate to break it to you, Captain… but we've past that point the day we arrived here. Someone has already done just that. We're just part of it."

"… I'm just saying that we need to tread carefully."

"And we have been treading; as carefully as we can possibly be. But, in case you haven't noticed, we're presently two captains from two different time periods, smack dab in the middle of an alien fleet. I think trying not to become further involved in this is no longer an option."

Janeway shook her head, somewhat amazed by this man. Text books and holodecks only told a person so much. There were little things that always manage to escape their attention… like certain aspects of their personality.

Archer was a captain and a legend, but he also came from an era even more untamed than Kirk's. In Kirk's era, they at least had the Prime Directive to guide them. Archer didn't even have that rule. And she couldn't exactly shove it down his throat. She had no right.

Still, she was beginning to think that he was a little more stubborn than anyone could have guessed.

_"Bridge to Captain Archer."_

Both captains started as Reed's voice entered the Mess Hall, breaking their discussion up very effectively.

Archer made his way over to the comm system, activating the controls. "Go ahead, Malcolm." He had heard the worry in his security chief's voice, and knew something was wrong.

_"We just detected something on the outer rim of the asteroid belt. It looks like an advanced vessel, but it keeps fluctuating on our scanners."_

"I'm on my way. Archer out." Shutting off the link, the captain of the _Enterprise_ turned back to Janeway. "We'll have to continue our wonderful conversation later," he said. "In the meantime, I need to run my ship." He made his way out of the Mess Hall, not looking back.

Janeway watched the door for a moment, frowning in thought. "Janeway to _Voyager,_" she said. "Commander, do we have an unidentified vessel on our sensor system?"

_"Aye Captain. We didn't say anything because… well…"_

"Chakotay, Tuvok and I are alone. What is it?"

_"… Captain, it registers as a _Sovereign class_ starship."_

She blinked, somewhat surprised. She had heard of the _Sovereign_ of course, but she hadn't thought that they were already being constructed for use. "Thank you, Chakotay. Janeway out." Her gaze shifted to Tuvok. "Another starship from our century, here? I'm beginning to think that Archer is right."

Tuvok nodded, his brow furrowed in thought. Until they had seen that speech, there had been some doubt. Now though, there was definitive proof that someone was manipulating events… probably on a scale beyond even a human's imagination.

And Jonathan Archer and his crew were in the thick of it, among other people.

Janeway stood silent for a few seconds, before turning around. "Let's go to the bridge, Tuvok. Maybe we can help them with that."

"The Prime Directive would seem to apply in this case, Captain."

"I'd say that whoever is manipulating this conflict… has already done that for us. Let's go. Janeway to _Voyager…_"

* * *

"And that's everything we know," Kakyuu finished, watching their reactions. "If the future is being manipulated, then she has nowhere else to go."

For a moment, the small group was silent, looking at the still disguised Serenity, then at Kakyuu, who had dropped hers, then back. "Well, this could be a problem," Kwame finally stated. "Especially when the Sailor Moon of this era comes back."

Serenity leaned forward. "Which actually begs the question; where is she?"

"That's a long story, and we don't even know it all," Gi replied. "All we know is that the Sunak used their inter-dimensional technology to whisk them to a parallel reality. We were only able to get in touch with them last week."

Her gaze narrowed. "Why would they do this? Why would they try and destroy us, when we've done nothing to them?"

"They want Gaia and Zarm, I'm sorry to say." Belldandy stood up, heading over to the window. "Apparently, Queen Beryl had given them something they couldn't refuse."

"And at the same time, they formed an alliance with the Death Dealer Sakar, the very entity the Sunak are sworn to destroy. I'm seeing where this is a major problem."

Seiya sighed, running her hand through her hair. "Well, I have to say, I'm impressed. You've upheld your end of the bargain."

"Now it's time for us to uphold our end," Taiki finished. "The Three Sailor Starlights are at Earth's disposal, Planeteers."

Kwame smiled in relief, knowing that they stood a chance against their overwhelming enemies, and opened his mouth to welcome them.

And the side wall detonated fro a concussive blast.

* * *

And here is Chapter Thirty Two. Chapter Thirty Three will feature the Animates, and also have Wendy and Peter return to the fray, so stay tuned.

Sorry for the delay in this chapter, but we've been cleaning out both mine and my mother's towers so we can actually have a fast response whenever we power up. We've also had a few upgrades to certain programs like Microsoft Word, so I don't have to pay as much attention as usual. Still, I will hopefully get these chapters out to you once a month if not sooner, so please review. Let me know what you think.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three**

Above London, the skies began to fluctuate.

More than half a century ago, some of the citizens in the English capital said that they had seen the impossible, the unimaginable; children flying through the sky like birds, with a bright sphere of light by their side. One elderly man, who was a member of the board of London's most prestigious bank… which was surprisingly enough, the same place where George Darling worked, even had a story of how one of the children had taken his hat. They were all considered simply stories of overactive imaginations, and those in question simply chalked them up to stress.

But now… there were a whole lot more people watching the skies.

At a point almost ten miles above London, four specks emerged, flying away as fast as they could. They barely managed to avoid a passenger airliner as it roared by, preparing to land at the international airport.

A massive gout of flame suddenly emerged out of nowhere, shooting towards the airliner. And, even decelerating, to see such an event coming at you means to be almost on top of it. The pilot's tried to evade it, but it wasn't even enough.

The jumbo jet's left wing was vaporized right off like it was nothing. And, with its stability depending on having two wings, only one logical outcome would come of this… disaster.

Unless someone could prevent it from happening.

One of the specks suddenly stopped, catching sight of the jet's plight. Coming to a decision, she shot off after it.

The plane had barely even begun its fatal descent when it suddenly stabilized, for no apparent reason. Surprised, but not willing to look this unexpected gift horse in the mouth, the pilots began to tell the passengers to remain calm and that the situation was under control. How, they didn't know, but their priority was to make sure that there wasn't a panic.

Some of the more fanciful people, who were bordering on panic, could have sworn that they saw a young girl at their side, hands outstretched. And under other circumstances, no one would have believed them. After all, that was just flat out impossible.

Except for the fact that it was completely true.

Wendy, utilizing the Force to create an intangible wing, stayed with the plane until it had managed to land at the airport, before flying back over to the others. "That was close," was all she said, panting slightly. Up until that point, she hadn't known if that was even possible. But, as she was quickly learning, almost anything was possible with the Force.

"On both accounts," Peter replied, referring to their close escape from Neverland's destruction. It was something that was gong to haunt him for a very long time, if not for the rest of his life. "Wheeler and Linka are really not going to like hearing about this when we get back to Hope Island."

"Yes, speaking of which… Gaia, this is Wendy."

_"Wendy, what happened? I sensed a massive explosion coming from your area. And when did you get back?"_

"Just now, and we have several problems that need to be addressed. Right now though, we need an update. What's happened?"

_"Well, where to start?"_ Even over the link, the Spirit of the Earth sounded tired. _"We've dealt with three of Sakar's eco terrorists, we still haven't located Doctor Blight, and we're still no closer to figuring out the full Prophecy of Fire and Wind."_

Wendy frowned. "Well, I'd say that the news is better here than on our end. We'll explain when we…" She trailed off, as something registered in the Force.

The Force was sending her a warning; Sailor Neptune, Kwame, Gi, Belldandy, and five unknown powers were in danger.

Mortal Danger.

Peter, being Peter, quickly realized that something was up. "What is it?" he asked.

"Our friends are in trouble… in Tokyo!" The young woman quickly turned to her brother. "John, you and Tiger Lily return to Hope Island, and apprise them of what happened. Peter and I will head for Japan! Now go!"

John didn't need to be told twice, as he and the Indian Princess quickly turned around, shooting off in the direction of Hope Island.

Peter and Wendy quickly made their way to Tokyo, hoping against hope that they weren't too late.

* * *

Serenity moved quickly, forcing Kakyuu to the ground as their attacker unleashed another attack, punching holes into the far wall. "Stay down!" she shouted. "Let the Senshi deal with them!"

Belldandy looked up, and promptly ducked back down when an energy blast shot overhead again. "Well, I certainly won't argue with that!" she replied. "Be my guest!"

"Seiya! I'm going to drop my disguise, and distract her! You three transform now! I'm going to need some back up real fast!"

Seiya didn't even bother trying to argue. Now was not the time to try for a power play. "You heard her, Starlights! Get ready to drop disguises and transform!"

The Moon Princess concentrated briefly, allowing her Senshi suit to reform around her. She stood up, looking at their attacker for the first time. "Sailor Tin Nyanko," she said in greeting.

Tin Nyanko blinked in surprise. Of all of the people she had expected to see, Sailor Moon wasn't it. The last she recalled, the Moon Princess had been transported to Lunar. "How did you… never mind. I want your Starseeds!" She brought her arms up, revealing two golden bracelets. Gold bracelets Serenity knew very well.

Of course, she also knew what they were used for, and couldn't allow them to fire. She called her Moon Wand from the ether, pointing it at the possessed Senshi. "_Moon… Honeymoon… Power Kiss!_" she intoned, launching her attack. If it was accurate, then the Animamate would be freed from Galaxia's control.

Tin Nyanko deftly dodged the attack, though, glaring at her. "Why you…"

_"Sailor Star Uterus!"_

A burst of yellow slammed into the Animate, causing a shriek of pain to emerge from her throat. The sheer force and velocity of the attack knocked her back almost forty feet.

And stepping forward was the strangest collection of women that any of the non Senshi had ever seen.

Where the three Starlights once stood, three women wearing their faces had taken their places. Their Senshi uniforms were similar in design, with no difference to tell them apart, and skimpier than their Earth Senshi counterparts. Near black ensembles, simple tiara bands with a single star on front, and knee high boots were the fashion of the day.

As one, all three of them launched out of the hole that had been made, Sailor Moon right behind them.

The sound of explosions shook the battered building as the combatants began their clash, making Gi's teeth rattle. "Looks like there's more than one of them!" she shouted. "Unless this Tin Nyanko can clone herself!"

"I don't think she can!" Kakyuu replied, staying down. "The other Animamates must be here as well! They must have switched battle tactics since their last encounter with the Starlights!"

"Or this Sailor Galaxia is a member of the Deadly Alliance!" Kwame retorted. "They must have learned team work as a result!"

"It doesn't matter!" Belldandy stood up fully, shifting into her battle uniform. "They're going to need our help! Contact the Guardians and Neptune! We need them back ASAP!!" With those orders, she launched herself out of the hole.

"Contact the Guardians, she says," Gi grumbled, flicking her communicator open, praying that there wasn't a jamming signal over the entire area. "What a wonderful idea. Mister and Mrs. Potter, please come in. We have a bit of a situation..."

* * *

The moment the four Senshi had come out in the open, the Animamates attacked all at once. Golden blasts of power shot at them from every direction, trying to get them in a surprise attack. And it was almost successful… except that the Star Lights hadn't been born yesterday, and Sailor Moon was no fool.

The Moon Princess dropped underneath the assault, before rocketing upwards at twice her normal speed, slamming her fist into Iron Mouse's jaw. The diminutive Senshi, only an inch taller than her daughter, gave out a grunt of pain as she was involuntarily driven upward.

Sailor Aluminum Siren and Sailor Lead Crow, who worked best as a tag team, tried to double team Sailor Star Maker in a pincer attack. The brunette would have none of that, and simply kicked Nyanko as she approached. Her kick continued on its path, picking up speed as it did so, to slam into Aluminum Siren's jaw with a crack. Both Senshi flew back, barely managing to right themselves before they slammed into opposing buildings.

Fighter and Healer tried to tag team Tin Nyanko, but the agile Senshi kept evading their strikes, laughing. She quickly kicked out, catching one of them in the jaw. "Sorry, Starlights!" she crowed, "but I've got things to do after I take your Star Seeds!"

"That can wait!" Belldandy retorted, rocketing in. Her feet smashed into the Senshi's face with the speed of a bullet. "Right now, you've got bigger problems to deal with! Me, for starters!"

The Animamates quickly regrouped, understanding that they had sorely underestimated their opponents. With the most powerful Goddess of all time on their side, they were practically unstoppable. But Galaxia didn't look kindly on failure, so they had to win.

So, they turned around as one, and began shooting down towards the city.

"Damn it!" Serenity shouted, as the golden blasts struck various members of the populace, removing their starseeds. Almost immediately, the creatures that emerged from those people looked towards the sky, eyes alive with anger.

"Get ready, Senshi!" Star Fighter shouted, powering up her attack.

"Don't kill them!" The Moon Princess powered up, her wand glowing pink with contained energy. "I possess the ability to heal them! Just weaken them, and let me finish it!" She smiled at their surprised expressions. "I'm from the future, so I've done something like this before! Trust me on this."

None of the Starlights were going to argue with her on this. After all, if she said she could do it, then they were inclined to agree with her.

So, they shot down in formation.

* * *

Molly cowered as golden blasts slammed into the ground and other pedestrians were hit, trying to figure out what deity she managed to piss off in a previous life. After all, there couldn't be any other explanation for her being targeted by every single supernatural being out there. Melvin was shielding her with his body, trying to keep her safe. Part of her was happy that he was doing that, while another part of her wanted to tell him to run. It was pointless to try and protect her from beings such as this.

And it was times like this that she missed Nephlyte.

The golden blasts finally stopped, and Melvin got off of her. "Are you all right, Molly?" he asked, adjusting his glasses.

"Yeah, peachy. It's just another alien invasion, after all." Brushing her uniform top off, she turned around. "And it looks like it's going nuclear! Let's get out of here!"

Needing no further pushing from her, the two teens started running, hoping to get out of the battle zone before they were caught in the crossfire. They dodged panicking pedestrians, used debris on the street as cover, and simply ran as fast as they could.

It wasn't fast enough.

Two of the transformed humans dropped right in front of them, each utilizing a wickedly sharp blade. They both grinned evilly, bringing the swords to bear.

Molly closed her eyes, holding onto her boyfriend tightly.

_"Moon Honeymoon Power Kiss!"_

A powerful blast of healing energy suddenly engulfed the two beings, instantly reverting them back to their original forms. They looked around for a few moments, a little dazed, before running like mad.

Molly looked up in shock. The voice was up in the air somewhere, and as familiar as her mother's and Serena's. "Sailor Moon!" she shouted.

The Senshi, now wearing a different uniform than what Tokyo was used to seeing, was flying through the skies with white wings. Around her, the sounds of battle were beginning to start up. Sounds that had become very familiar to her.

She started running again, hoping to get out of there before she was attacked again.

Melvin followed close behind, his feet slapping against the concrete. Both were no strangers to the stranger aspects of life, and he needed to make sure she was safe.

That was his final thought before he was stabbed through from behind.

* * *

James watched as his wife exited the apartment building where Mrs. Takanouchi was located, smiling slightly. "I trust that she got back to Lunar safely," he said.

Potter nodded, grinning. "She got back safely, though she might be in for the fight of her life. In the meantime, we had better get back to…"

_"Mister and Mrs. Potter, please come in. We have a bit of a situation."_

The two Guardians looked at each other, the husband pulling his communicator off his belt. "Go ahead, Gi," he said, all business.

_"What do you know about Animamates?"_

"Enough not to meet them down a dark alleyway. They are notorious for attacking without warning, but they only go after one person at a time, and usually in a secluded location."

_"They're tearing up Main Street, and are trying to kill a futuristic Sailor Moon and Princess Kakyuu."_

Amara shot out of her seat as those words were uttered, the two Guardians trading looks of shock. "Time to go?" she asked.

"Time to go." James shot into the air, his wife right behind him, cape fluttering in the breeze. "Get the Princess out of the battle zone! We'll be there as soon as possible!" Without waiting for a response, he went in the direction of the battle, sonic booms emerging as he broke the speed barrier.

Neptune jumped into the car, waiting for Amara to turn the ignition. "Whoever or whatever these Animamates are, they certainly have the Potter's spooked!" she stated.

Amara nodded, gunning the motor. "Let's hope their bark is worse than their bite!" she replied, as they shot off down the street.

* * *

"_Melvin!_"

Serenity's ears picked up the horrific wail of shock, and turned in mid air. Her eyes landed on the form of Molly, dropping to her knees to cradle her boyfriends still form, oblivious of the blood already soaking her clothes. She also saw the Phage bring her blade up, ready to finish the job.

With a bellow of pure fury, she rocketed down, her scepter slamming into the monster's head long before it could complete its swing. Such was the force of her blow, that the Phage was sent into the nearest building, leaving an imprint in the steel and concrete.

Oblivious to it, Serenity brought the Silver Crystal itself to bear. "_"Moon… Healing…Activation!_" she intoned, focusing the full healing power of the crystal at her former schoolmate and future Lead Scientist.

Unfortunately, her decision to try and save Melvin also left her wide open. The Phage she had so savagely smashed across the street had regained her footing, and launched itself at her, ready to remove her Starseed by ripping it right out of her chest.

"Sailor Moon, look out!"

Serenity turned around quickly, barely blocking the strike that would have been the end of her, and pushed back. _"Moon Honeymoon Power Kiss!_" Her power washed over the Phage, curing it immediately. Not even bothering to give the innocent person a second thought, she turned around again… only to see that she was too late.

Melvin was dead.

A scream of absolute grief fought to emerge from Serenity's throat, but sheclamped down on it. Molly was not restrained. This was the second time she had lost someone she had loved, and was powerless to do anything about it.

Serenity wanted properly mourn Melvin's passing, but now wasn't the time. She had to look after the living. So, vowing to keep a close eye on her friend, she shot up into the sky again.

* * *

Starfighter took note of the situation, and realized that they needed reinforcements fast.

No matter how effective they were, the Animamates were still above them, firing multiple blasts into the screaming, panicking mass, creating new phages left and right. Soon, they wouldn't be able to contain them within the city block. Something had to be done, and done fast.

_"Neptune Deep Submerge!"_

Tin Nyanko was suddenly engulfed in a sphere or concentrated water, disrupting her attack. With a shriek of pain, the Animamate was sent through a building, shuddering under the power of the attack.

The Starlight looked to the ground, seeing Neptune leaping up into the air, and breathed out in relief. Their reinforcements had arrived, and not a moment too soon. Now she could focus on the Phages.

Neptune caught sight of her target as she shot out of the hole made, water streaming off of her. Leaping up, she met the Animamate in mid air with a high kick.

Tin Nyanko began falling down to Earth, her jaw now sore from the kick she had been just delivered. Part of her was wondering where their attack went so wrong. Perhaps it was seemingly pumped up Sailor Scout that had been in there with Kakyuu. It could be the Goddess who was there as well.

Or perhaps it could be a combination of factors that none of them could have seen.

Either way, their offensive was being derailed by a small group of warriors, and if this was any indication of their depleted defenses, then they hadn't depleted them enough.

They had to take control of this fight quickly, before they were beaten outright.

Serenity healed another three phages, noting that they had almost gotten all of them. Already, the remaining ones were being herded into a tighter and more contained area. One more blast from the scepter would end that little problem. Then they could focus on the Animamates themselves.

That was her thought up until Tin Nyanko slammed her feet into Neptune's jaw, almost decapitating her in the process. She was forcibly reminded that Neptune wouldn't achieve full power for three more years. And Amara didn't even have her powers.

Aluminum Siren and Lead Crow quickly grasped the strategy their fellow Animamate had devised, and moved to add to it. They shot towards Belldandy and Starfighter, powering up their attacks. They wouldn't be able to really hurt the Goddess, but they could keep her distracted long enough for a four prong assault later on.

All Belldandy knew was that she was suddenly struck from behind by a powerful blast of energy. Tumbling around in mid air, she caught sight of Seiya quickly dodging two golden spheres, and quickly guessed what had hit her. _'They must know that I can't be hurt by that energy,'_ she thought in bewilderment. _'So why did they use that?'_ Righting herself, she got ready to blast them into oblivion.

Except that Lead Crow suddenly speared her in the gut, slamming them both into a building. The Animamate slammed both fists into her face, before powering up her bracelets again. What she was trying to do was not very difficult to determine.

But why she was trying it on a First Class Goddess was not so clear. It wouldn't be effective. Unless…

Shaking her head, she saw Tin Nyanko take aim at the Senshi of Water. She staggered to her feet, already knowing that she would be too late to stop it.

Neptune, utterly oblivious to the threat she was in, busily knocked out the last Phage, breathing hard. These things were tougher than the average monster, and more coordinated. "Okay, Sailor moon!" she shouted. "Do it!"

"Right! _Honeymoon Power Kiss!_"

"Michelle, watch out!"  
Neptune's head snapped up at the sudden warning, her eyes widening upon seeing the golden spheres heading her way. She made to move, not knowing what they were exactly, but knowing that they weren't going to make her stronger.

The spheres were within half a second from hitting her when, for the first time in the history of the galaxy, they were stopped.

By a sky blue lightsaber.

Held by a formidable young woman.

Wendy was already on the move. Her other hand reached out, using the Force to send the Animamate flying backward almost eighty feet. Then, with but a whisper of a warning, she whirled, blocking a wave of attacks that would have done some serious damage to her. "Neptune, when I'm away, you seem to have very interesting parties," she stated casually.

Neptune shrugged. "Trouble always seems to find me, no matter what. Not my fault. Where's Peter?"

"Did I ever mention how much I hate bullies?"

The Senshi and Jedi both moved as Aluminum Siren slammed into the ground, the young man in question stopping just a foot from sharing her fate. "Hi, Neptune!" he said. "How've you been?"

Wendy grinned. "You asked."

"And so I did. We need one of those traitorous Senshi for questioning. Can you and the Potters…?"

"We'll do out best." With those words spoken, Wendy flew into the air, aiming at Sailor Lead Crow. The Water Senshi didn't dispute it. The Force was obviously guiding her hand in this.

She hoped it knew what it was doing.

* * *

Potter watched as Sailor Moon healed the last of the Phages, breathing out in relief. While nowhere near the threat of their creators, those monsters were a headache to any experienced warrior in large enough numbers.

But that left their exceedingly more dangerous creators for them to deal with.

She shifted her attention to the skies, where Sailor Moon and Belldandy were swiftly heading upward towards the Animamates, the Starlights following right behind them. She made to follow, when her senses went haywire.

Her gaze went on its own accord, taking in the sight of a fast moving object heading into the battle. The raw Force field surrounding immediately told her who it was.

Apparently, Wendy just couldn't get enough excitement in her life.

However, her confusion grew as the young Padawan passed Tin Nyanko, though she was immediately taken care of by Belldandy and Star Fighter. Who was she aiming at?

The answer became apparent when she slammed in Sailor Lead Crow, catching her in an unusually strong grip. Lead Crow struggled for a second, before falling limp. _'The Force equivalent to a knockout punch,'_ Potter deduced. Wendy was definitely learning at a supernatural rate.

Wendy, in the meantime, brought her prisoner down to the ground. She had been unsure of that it would have worked, using the Force to create a localized concussive force around her body. But once again, she had done her part. The Force had delivered.

The battle had been won. The last part just had to be played out.

The remaining three Animamates suddenly found themselves besieged on all sides. Star Fighter and Belldandy had almost prevailed against Tin Nyanko, who was forced to use her remaining power just to defend herself. Aluminum Siren was being beat down by Healer and Maker, while Neptune was busy helping Sailor Moon against Iron Mouse. It was only a matter of time before they prevailed against their now out matched opponents, and they knew it.

The most powerful of the Animamates suddenly shot out of harm's way, knowing that they had lost badly. The newly charged Sailor Moon had thrown their plans completely out of whack, and it had only gotten worse from there. "Retreat, girls!" she shouted. "We'll regroup and come back later!"

"What about Lead Crow?" Siren asked.

"We leave her, unless you want to take on a uber-powerful Jedi! Now fall back!"

The three warriors released one final attack, which was deflected by the Goddess, before bolting. Three streaks of light shot into the distance, disappearing before any of them could even think about giving chase. Soon, it was as if they had never been there.

Except for the devastation and horror on the streets.

The Animamates had done more than create Phages. Those very Phages had managed to kill an ungodly number of people. Vehicles and other debris had been dumped everywhere. It was obvious that a war had been fought here, and one that wasn't over by a long shot.

Belldandy landed, taking in the carnage. "By the Great Tree," she whispered. "What was the point to all of this? Why would they…"

"They're victims as well," Serenity replied, landing right next to her. "So is Galaxia. Chaos does it… because that's its nature. That's what it does." She sighed. "It doesn't make it any better for the rest of us, but that can never be helped."

The First Class Goddess watched as Sailor Moon started back over to where Molly was, and felt her eyes fill with unshed tears. The loss of innocents, and the loss of innocence all in one tragic moment.

And it was only going to get far worse for everyone.

* * *

There was pandemonium in the Crystal Chamber.

Technicians were running around, getting updates from the Tokyo battle. Clash was on the horn with the Tokyo government, requesting immediate assistance. Gaia was busy sending messages out to everyone who had helped out the Planeteers throughout the years, telling them to be careful.

This was the scene of barely controlled chaos that Mary, Qui-Gon, and Sloane entered, all of them looking rather concerned. "How are my children?" Mary asked immediately.

Clash turned around. "John is coming back with Tiger Lily," he replied. "Wendy and Peter shot towards Tokyo. Some kind of full scale attack happened within the last half hour."

Sloane let out a curse. "Those bastards. How many were killed?"

"About seventy civilians. More than eight hundred wounded. They caused almost nine hundred million dollars worth of damage."

Qui-Gon turned to the screen, seeing Wendy lifting a steel beam up. It was somewhat surprising to watch her do it, but only slightly. Her progress was absolutely phenomenal, and there was no limit to her potential. He had known that would be the case, considering her incredible intelligence.

But something was wrong. Within the Force, there had been a massive shock, as if an entire world had just been destroyed. That, coupled with their return, told him that something had happened.

Something that wasn't to their liking.

Mary suddenly perked up, the Force telling her something new. "They've landed," was all she said, heading back outside.

John and Tiger Lily hurried up to the Crystal Chamber, getting hugged by George and Millicent. Letting them know that they were both all right, they quickly went inside, heading directly for Gaia.

Mary gave John a hug, refraining from looking at his aura. "John, is everything all right?" she asked. "What happened in Neverland?"

John sighed, sitting down in an empty chair. "Mom… Gaia, Zarm. I have some terrible news. Sakar… Sakar has destroyed Neverland."

Gaia let out a curse at this. That meant that Sakar had absorbed all of the energy within the land, reclaiming his old strength. Not what she wanted to hear,on top of everything that had happened today.

"It gets worse." Tiger Lily stepped up behind John, her eyes haunted. "Neverland itself was a combination of two different kinds of magic that are not compatible within a human form. When Sakar absorbed the energy… it most likely drove him mad. He will be coming back, more dangerous than he ever was."

Sloane shuddered at these words, remembering full well what had happened to her at the Death Dealer's hands. He was extremely dangerous to begin with. If he was now truly mad… then he would probably not even bother taking the two spirit's powers. He could end up just destroying everything.

Urd turned to Skuld, who looked rather frightened, then to Katie. "I think we're going to need more backup," she said.

Katie looked at her. "We need my brother and Linka," she replied. "They're the only one's who can stop Sakar now. Nothing more, nothing less."

On that, they were all beginning to believe her.

* * *

Sailor Moon looked around, feeling nothing but a great sense of failure as she surveyed the end results of a hellacious battle.

The damage was incomparable. There were holes in buildings and in the street itself. Cars had been destroyed by random shots. This particular part of Tokyo looked as those it had been used as target practice.

And that was nothing compared to the loss of life. Seventy people killed, ten of them children. More than eight hundred more maimed in some manner, some for life. Wives would never see their husbands again, children their parents.

And some would never see their significant other ever again.

Serenity slowly made her way over to Molly, who was watching as two emergency workers put Melvin's body into a body bag, eyes red and puffy from the sheer amount of crying. Now, she was almost catatonic, worn out emotionally.

The young girl abruptly turned around to stare at her, expression unreadable. She had just endured the most heinous torment a person could go through, and it had, not surprisingly, hurt her considerably. "Why?" she asked. "Why did this happen? Why did he have to die? Why did any of these have to suffer?!"

Serenity turned to look at the scene, as the body was put on a stretcher, remembering a great many things about the young boy. Things and events that would never happen now, though some that had already happened. "I don't know," she replied quietly, helplessly. "I don't think I'll ever know."

She thought back to all of the memories she had, not just of this life, but of her past life. She had watched as her entire kingdom was destroyed by a madwoman, who was hell bent on taking the Silver Imperium Crystal from her mother, Queen Serenity. She had been with Endyimon the moment the Negaforce attacked, ending their lives in an instant. In the end, she knew what it was like to lose everything and everyone one held so dear in an instant.

Now, she knew it twice over.

"Sailor Moon?"

Startled out of her sad thoughts, the Queen turned around, staring into Kwame's somewhat surprised gaze. And she couldn't really understand why. After all, she had been a Sailor Senshi for almost two years at this point. "It's… a long story," she replied to his unspoken question. "And presently, I doubt we have enough time for the long version." She took another look at Molly. "In fact, I know we don't." Abruptly, her attention shifted to the two Guardians, taking note of their crest pendants around their necks. After she had become queen, she and Darien had reformed the alliance between the Senshi and the Guardians. "I don't know who you two are, but I do know _what_ you are. Tell me, Guardians; what do you know of Galia Hall?"

Potter's eyes widened, as she and James shared a shocked look. The name was familiar to both of them, as familiar as their own. It was a name that she had never thought she would hear uttered. "I know of her," she said. "I don't know much about her, aside from the fact that she is the daughter of Shayera Hall herself. Why?"

Serenity sighed, rubbing her head. What she was about to say would be one of the most painful things she would ever say, and probably the biggest secret that she would ever reveal. "Ma'am, she's more than that." Taking a deep breath, she braced herself. "She's Sailor Galaxia. … She's the Golden Senshi."

"… … … … That, I didn't know."

* * *

And here is Chapter Thirty Three. Chapter Thirty Four will have a crossover with YGO: Redemption, as Shayera Hall's time in Zion is finally revealed. Also, SG-1 and MASH unit will be returning to this story. Finally, the Planeteers will be reuniting on Hope Island, and resume the search for Blight.


	34. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty Four**

"That is the full story," Adria replied, finished with her explanation. She leaned back in her seat, observing her audience.

SG-1 was looking at her in complete understanding, knowing what she went through was possible in their line of work. In fact, it was something they had come to expect it to some degree, considering Daniel's own experience with another universe.

The senior staff of the 4077 were somewhat more skeptical, but they were willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. After all, up until a few days ago, they had no idea that aliens truly did exist.

Winchester was the first one to break the silence that had befallen all of them. "Well, that was certainly a rousing tale. You will make one hell of a storyteller."

The young woman's shoulders slumped slightly. "You don't believe me," she said quietly.

He surprised her with a small smile. "No, I believe you. The damage done to your shoulder was done by no bullet, and the rate of your healing capabilities is nothing short of supernatural. A man would have to be foolish to believe otherwise." He paused. "Also, there is the fact that there is a man standing in this office, with a golden serpent brand on his forehead to take into account."

Teal'c turned to look at him for a second, but said nothing. The doctor did have a good point, after all.

Hawkeye looked around, watching Radar as he fidgeted slightly, knowing why. "Well, I guess story time's over. I've got my rounds to do."

Margaret stood up as well. "I'll go with you, Doctor." They needed to talk about several things, and most of them were concerning both their first alien, and how the Chief Surgeon knew Sam.

Potter smiled, standing up. "Well, you certainly have gotten our attention, Miss Adria. If Winchester believes you, then you were right to use that dang thing."

"I'm afraid that I have a bit of bad news. I may have inadvertently put you all in danger by coming here. Especially if events in your universe have shifted, Colonel O'Neill."

Sam nodded, knowing what she was talking about. "Because of the Goa'uld."

"Yes. I know that my mother was still Quetesh in your time. The Tokra won't remove her until you begin construction on your first Earth ship."

"We…we'll build a ship?"

Adria smiled. "You build quite a few, with a great deal of help from your allies. The Asgard, the Tokra, even the Jaffa which, thanks to Teal'c's example, are now free from the Goa'uld."

Teal'c blinked, feeling sudden hope fill his heart. If what she said was true, then his people's freedom wasn't a question of _if_, it was a question of _when_. Perhaps he would even be alive to see it happen.

Daniel got up, rubbing his back for a second. "Well, as fun as this is, I'm going to dial the Gate back to our universe, and let Hammond know how everything's going."

O'Neill nodded, getting up as well. "Excuse us, won't you Colonel? The General wants us to report in on the hour, every hour."

"I've been there, done that. Served in the cavalry back in the day."

"World War I?"

"You got it."

"We should have a drink, and compare war stories."

Potter nodded. "First, you better go and check in. Then we'll get that drink."

As they all went to take care of their business, not one of them noticed as the Orici lowered her head, a single tear going down her cheek.

**

* * *

**

Zion

'_The one thing I haven't missed about being a Guardian,'_ Shayera Hall thought, staring at the mountain of Padds on her desk, '_is the paperwork! And I've been gone thirty years, so it's really piled up.'_ She was probably going to be up all night just getting through half of them. And they were bound to be the easy ones!

Sighing, the Spartan warrior picked up the first Padd, and perused it, shuddering. Then she began to go to work.

She was still at it several hours later when Alania walked in, grinning at her disheveled appearance. "Nice look," she said. "However, I don't think that you'll get any more of those reports done if you fall asleep."

Shayera looked up, blinking rapidly. "Oh, it's you. And here I thought it was the Grim Reaper, come to take my immortal soul away at long last." She sat up, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "What can I do for you, Eminence?"

The ancient Guardian rolled her eyes at the title, her body still conveying both the youth and beauty of a thirty year old woman. "Honestly, woman! I've asked you time and time again not to call me that!"

"It's been over sixty eight thousand years since I became a Guardian, and you still haven't gotten used to it. You are definitely never going to change." Shayera's eyes lost the slim amount of humor that had been in them. "Why are you here?"

Alania brought a hand up, a bottle and two glasses appearing. "I was actually wondering if you would join me for a drink," she said. "After all, I doubt you want the parade and all that."

The other Guardian cracked a smile at that, knowing how true it was. Alania would never change. She knew that many of her people weren't interested in the accolades that came with their accomplishments and victories, and celebrated them in private. She knew because she, who had a list of accomplishments beyond reckoning, had had it far too many times to count. After a certain point, the praise became too much, especially when the body count reached a certain point.

And Guardians remembered every face that fell.

The First Guardian saw the answer on her face, and sat down, uncorking the bottle and pouring the amber liquid into the glasses. "This is something I've been saving for the better part of four years," she whispered. "I got it from an El Aurian bartender. Used to work on the _Enterprise-D_ until its destruction."

"What is it?"

"Tennessee Whiskey."

"Ah." Shayera took a glass, observing the drink for a moment. "To lost time, and lost friends," she said.

"And to the return of old friends," Alania added, clinking the two glasses together. "May their second run be more uneventful than the first."

The two Guardians threw their heads back, downing the whiskey in one gulp. It was a futile gesture for them to try and get drunk, but they were still human. Old habits died hard, even at their advanced ages, so they didn't drink much.

Shayera put her glass down, cranking her neck. "So, how is Guardian Tieranos? Is he still a pain in the ass?"

Alania chuckled. "Like you'd never believe," she replied. "He's actually now Head of Commerce. His son is a Trainee under one of his lackeys." She smiled. "His daughter, however, signed on for field training. She's in Realm 3, at Hogwarts."

"Ah, this Magic School that I keep hearing such good things about."

"Yes. Also, that's where Mister Potter is."

"I gathered. How is Kes handling the rigors of command?"  
"… She's actually doing quite well. She is more than capable of commanding a starship, even though she doesn't think so."

Shayera nodded. "I'm glad to hear that." Her smile faded slightly. "What about Galia?"

Alania sighed. She had been hoping to hold off on that particular subject for as long as possible, but Shayera had a one track mind when it came to her daughter. "Chaos has fortified her position in Realm 2," she admitted hesitantly. "Using your daughter's considerable power, she's decimated almost the entire Milky Way Galaxy, enslaving almost every single Senshi there is."

"With the exception of the Earth Senshi."

"Yes, with the exception of them, and the Three Starlights. However, that's only because the Inner Scouts and Sailor Pluto are on Lunar, and Neptune is the only Outer one active. Saturn is still under the control of Mistress Nine, and Amara hasn't acquired her powers yet." She took a breath. "She's also aware of Sailor Mercury. Probably of all six of them."

Shayera cursed, setting her glass down. While she had never met the Mercury Princess personally, she was well aware of her story. What Guardian wasn't? Any evil being would love to be the one to take on that Senshi, and beat her. "If she manages to get Mercury's starseed, as well as the Light of Hope, Chaos will be unstoppable. She'll regain the infinite power she possessed as non-corporeal life form."

Alania nodded. "That day may come sooner than the Timelord saw. With the lines of Destiny being toyed with, we can no longer wait for Sailor Moon to reach her Eternal Form. We're going to have to intervene if Earth is to survive."

"… Will any Guardian be enough, though? I trained Galia myself, and Chaos has access to all of her experience. I doubt I could do anything to stop her."

"I'm sure that you will, old friend. After all… who better to face Chaos than you? You've spent six hundred years studying the brute. If anyone can find a weakness, it's you."

"… … Then why do I feel like that isn't going to be enough?" Shayera asked sadly.

**

* * *

**

Realm 2

Ma-Ti stared down at Hope Island as they approached, forever amazed by its beauty. Despite all of the places he had been over the years, this tiny island was the most incredible place on Earth. A slice of paradise that could never be taken.

Laura was seated next to him, seeing his eyes take in the splendor of his home, and understood how he felt. From this height, one could take in all the splendor of this small island. However, the hastily erected refugee camp down there reminded her of all the people that had already died, or been hurt by their enemies.

Like herself.

Shaking herself out of her dark thoughts, the young woman touched Ma-Ti's hand gently. "Do you think we can find Blight this time?" she asked quietly.

Ma-Ti shook his head. "I doubt it. If she has managed to avoid detection this long, she will continue to do so. I only wonder where she has managed to do so, and why she has not revealed herself yet. Personally, I'm only interested in a soft bed right now."

She nodded at that, before turning to the cockpit. "Hey, how much longer until we land?"

The pilot smiled. "We'll be landing in about five minutes," he replied. "You better get your stuff together." Manipulating the flight controls, he began their descent. "Hope Island, this is Shuttlepod 2 on approach. Is the landing area clear?"

"_Affirmative, Shuttlepod 2," _Clash replied over the communication grid. "_You are clear to land. And Ma-Ti, Laura… welcome back."_

Ma-Ti smiled at that. "It is good to be back, Clash," he replied, gripping Laura's hand. "It is good to be back."

About seven minutes later, both his and Laura's smiles had vanished as Gaia and Clash informed them of everything that had happened during their battle with Skumm. It wasn't something that they had been ready to hear, but it looked like they had gone past the point of simple words and meaningless hopes.

The attacks were getting more frequent and more dangerous. If this was what was happening on Earth, then the two Heart Planeteers shuddered to think what it would be like in space when the Sunak, or the Goa'uld arrived.

"We're going to need you two in Tokyo as soon as possible. They're kind of shorthanded there, and I'm pretty sure Kwame will appreciate the backup."

Ma-Ti nodded, rubbing his eyes fretfully. It looked as though they were going to have another long day and night before them. They could only hope that it wasn't as bad as it sounded. "Can we at least get showers in first?" he asked. "I doubt we will get any other respite when we get there."

Gaia grinned. "Go right ahead. Just don't take too long."

Nodding, the two young Planeteers made their way out of the Crystal Chamber. They had every intention of being quick, and it wouldn't be because of speed.

"Come on," Laura whispered. "I bet we can both use the shower if we squeeze into the stall…"

----

"You _failed_?!"

Iron Mouse cowered before her Mistress, the all powerful Galaxia, knowing what would most likely happen. The Golden Queen did not take failure lightly, nor did she take it well. Others had suffered death and worse for failing her, or even fighting her to begin with.

Galaxia slowly stood up from her recently created throne, walking towards the diminutive woman cowering before her. "The mission was simple, Iron Mouse," she growled, her power surging. "Take out the Three Star Lights and their Princess, and leave. That way, only Sailor Neptune would have stood against us. And she isn't even at full strength. She doesn't even possess her Item yet!" Her eyes glistened with unbridled fury. "But the lot of you couldn't even do that, could you? In fact, one of you was captured before you managed to escape!"

"We tried, my Lady, but there were too many of them!" Iron Mouse cried out in desperation. "Two of those Planeteers, Sailor Neptune and the Goddess Belldandy were there as well! We stood no chance, especially with even more reinforcements coming!"

"There were also the Guardians of Magic to consider," Tin Nyanko added, "not to mention that upstart Jedi brat and Peter Pan! They got involved as well!"

The Golden Senshi abruptly turned away from Iron Mouse, zeroing in on the other Animamates. "They have returned from Neverland?"

"Yes, my Lady. And there was someone else… Sailor Moon."

"What?!" The fury surged anew. "Queen Beryl promised us that she had been removed from this universe's equation, and is trapped on Lunar!"

"Well, she was there; and get this!" Lead Crow stepped into the argument. "She was in Eternal Form!"

Galaxia's eyes widened even further. Eternal Form was the only form of Sailor Moon that was powerful enough to challenge her in open battle. It was the form of Princess Serenity's Grandmother, Sailor Alpha Serenity herself. How did she manage to get that form? Unless…

Either it was Sailor Serenity herself, brought from the past, or Sailor Moon from the future. Either way meant problems for her.

Iron Mouse quickly realized that Galaxia was no longer enraged. "My Lady, we may not be able to defeat them," she added. "What's more, we learned that the Eco Terrorists are no longer on the map. Hathor has rejoined the other System Lords, though. She says that everything is in place."

The Golden Senshi nodded. "So our sojourn to Earth hasn't been a complete waste of time. If anything, you created an action that covered the other's operations, as well as revealed a possible new threat. Well done, Iron Mouse."

"T-thank you, Lady Galaxia! What will you have us do now?"

"Return to the _Dynas_. Lead the Goa'uld fleet into battle, after the Sunak have decimated the human's defenses. We'll take the few Senshi star seeds that remain, including Saturn's. Now go."

Lead Crow stepped forward. "What about Aluminum Siren?" she asked timidly, worried for her lover.

"… She's expendable."

**

* * *

**

Realm 1905

Daniel looked around the 4077, watching them as they trudged along, their lives an obvious routine that they had perfected out of necessity. Doctors were coming in and out of the OR, which doubled as the Colonel's and Company Clerk's offices. MP's, nurses, and any doctor's off duty were milling around, doing anything to take their minds off of the war.

He could see why they did that, of course. He had worked with Jack long enough to understand that war was about extreme action, followed afterwards with extreme boredom.

"Thinking hard, or hardly thinking?"

The archeologist turned to see Sam standing there, smiling slightly. "A combination of the two," he replied. "Where's the idiot that thinks he's a colonel?"

"Flagg? Probably in the mess tent, getting something to eat. So long as he stays away from Adria, we shouldn't have any problems."

"That's true." He focused his attention back on the camp. "I just can't help feeling… that we as a species are nowhere near intelligent enough, or disciplined enough to reach for the stars. I mean, we barely manage to stop from destroying ourselves as is."

It didn't take an astrophysicist to know what he was talking about. It was one of the risks every soldier took when they went into battle. Of course, she had seen other things that proved Daniel's theory. She had seen men slaughter each other, or making sure they could never walk again.

She knew. In Dreamscape, where she had fought alongside Hawkeye and a slew of others, she had witnessed friends die at the hands of the enemy, and others suffer injuries that, had they not been dreaming, would have probably proven fatal. Others… she couldn't even think about, after all of this time. What she had seen as part of the SGC was nothing compared to the Dreamscape wars. The mutilations that she saw… the experiments she had uncovered would have horrified even Janet.

Daniel looked at her for a second. "I guess you know what that's like," he said.

Sam nodded. "All too well. Thankfully, I was able to recover, but a lot of people I knew didn't."

His eyes crimped. "It's got to be even harder for your friend, being a doctor and all that."

"That's what makes him stronger. He looks at this every day, and he still cares. It takes someone with real strength to survive."

On that, he had to agree.

**

* * *

**

Realm 2

The first thing Ma-Ti thought when he saw Tokyo from above was that he had entered a war zone of some kind.

In a sense, he was. The damage in the three blocks that had been hit was absolutely horrible to see. And there was the emotion emanating from the streets. There was a wave of grief, sadness, and justifiable rage so potent that slammed into them as they approached, shaking their very souls.

"My God," Laura whispered, as the shuttlepod began its descent. "I thought that we wouldn't have to worry about this kind of devastation until much later, if at all."

Ma-Ti nodded. "I cannot believe it, either. But, that is part of the burden we shall all bear until this threat has been dealt with." Hi hand reached out, gripped hers. "All we can do is try to comfort those who survived."

"… I hope we can."

----

Kwame sat in the Waiting Room at the hospital, watching as Sailor Moon paced across the floor, eyes distant. The three Starlights and the Princess were all talking quietly amongst each other, while Keiichi and Belldandy sat quietly in a corner, both crying.

Molly, on the other hand, was staring at a point on the wall, almost dead to the world. It had been a crushing blow for someone who, up until a day ago, was living in world where the good guys always won, and saved everyone. Now, Melvin was dead, like Nephlyte, and his killer couldn't even be brought to justice.

Gi suddenly looked up, feeling a distinct presence enter the area. "They're here," she said quietly, though they all heard her clearly. As one, everyone turned to look in one direction.

Ma-Ti nodded as he and Laura entered the room, their eyes downcast. Along the way, they had been informed that one of the attackers had been captured, and was being held in an empty room. They would only get one chance at information before she was healed.

Sailor Moon nodded tot hem. "Ma-Ti, Miss Talbot," she said in greeting.

"Sailor Moon," Ma-Ti replied in turn, a little put off by the far more elaborate uniform she was sporting. "Where is she?"

"Third room down, under heavy guard. Wendy and Peter are in there with her," Kwame replied. "We do not know how powerful she is, so be careful."

"I certainly will try."

"In the meantime…" Laura looked at Molly. "Maybe I should have a talk with your friend, Sailor Moon. I might be able to help her."

The Moon Queen nodded. "I sure hope so," she said quietly. "The past is so different from what I can remember, it's almost frightening. What _happened_?"

"… I don't know. But whatever it was, it wasn't good."

**

* * *

**

Zion

In the central palace, Alania glared at the screen before her.

The Great Monitor Room, the most advanced sensor system of all time, was responsible for one thing and one thing only. It was to monitor the Balance itself, the great Tug-Of-War between Chaos and Order. Normally, when Chaos or Order succeeded in taking root in a particular universe, it meant that another realm had been taken by its counterpart, and vice versa. It was a game that had been in effect since long before she was even born.

But now, even more slightly than before, the Balance began to dip towards Chaos.

Her scowl grew at this, knowing what was responsible for this. Someone of great importance, or who would be of great importance in the future, had just died prematurely. And it wasn't supposed to happen.

Turning around, the First Guardian practically stormed out of the vast room, making her way down the corridor. Everything she had worked so hard to protect, the countless number of lives she had watched over for unimaginable millennium, was now in the process of falling apart. She had to find a way to stop it, before it progressed any further.

Entering her office, she didn't even bother with her communication terminal. Instead, she simply sent out a telepathic message to Shayera. She'd appreciate the interruption, if not the reason behind it.

Sure enough, the Spartan Guardian entered her office, looking somewhat relieved. Her voice maintained that brisk, no nonsense tone, though, as she said, "You wanted to see me… Alania?"

Alania gestured at her to sit down, letting her know that this was not going to be good news. "The Balance has begun creeping towards Chaos," she stated bluntly. "Stability is at ninety percent right now, and it'll continue to decrease if we don't do something about it quickly."

"Understood. Where was the latest shift?"

"That's why I called you first. The disruption was in Realm 2. I think Chaos was involved in it."

Emerald eyes widened, then narrowed in anger. Chaos had been a thorn in her side for far too long. "If Chaos was indeed involved, then the Deadly Alliance's reach is farther than we originally assumed." She cracked her knuckles. "When do I leave?"

"Not yet. We don't want to show our hand just yet. If we do, then Chaos will simply call for reinforcements. I'd rather that you and the Potter's not fight both your daughter and twenty Empowered at the same time." Alania sighed. "We're going to have to time this perfectly, so as to catch her off guard. I doubt Beryl's had time to alert her allies here."

"You're probably right. Nevertheless, if the situation changes…"

"You'll be the first to know." The First Guardian grinned. "Now leave me. I wish to glare impotently at my monitor in peace."

Shayera laughed. "Yes, Ma'am." She turned on her heel, leaving her old teacher to her brooding.

Alania sighed, staring at the blank screen for a few seconds longer, leaning back. She was going to be having a few words with the Timelord about this, and what he was doing to at least slow it down. While his actions were unyielding, and something she had never liked, they were nonetheless effective. The question was if he could adapt enough to do his job effectively in this troubling time.

Alania knew better than anyone how destiny could never be completely denied. Her own ascension was of necessity, not because she wanted it. Her continuing protection of reality was because it was the right thing to do, not because she enjoyed it.

Now she would have to prepare the very people she was sworn to protect, so they could better defend themselves. It was the only thing she could do… until the Guardian Protectorate was fully mobilized for battle.

For the horror of war was coming upon them all.

**

* * *

**

Realm 1905

"_Attention on the compound! Incoming wounded! Get ready to dance again, folks!"_

Potter was out of his seat in an instant, that familiar call so ingrained in his brain that he could have responded to it in his sleep.

He wasn't alone. More than half the doctors and nurses were already there, with the rest approaching from wherever they were recently. It was a rather depressing detail that they did almost every week.

Hawkeye, as he expected, was among the first to be there, barking orders to the nurses nearest him. As the Chief Surgeon, he was responsible for just about every medical decision, outranking even the colonel in medical triage.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, Janet Fraiser was there as well, looking over several of the more seriously injured patients. What surprised him was the fact that Adria was there as well, checking one of the patients over. For some reason he didn't know why, but it was obvious that she was being thorough.

Hunnicut walked over to her, giving the man a glance. Leaning down, he checked under the blood stained bandages. "Looks like he's missing part of his left ventricle," he said, shaking his head. "Unless someone else here is going to die immediately, and has a perfectly good heart, he won't make it."

Adria looked up, with the strangest expression Potter had ever seen before on a young woman. "I can help him," she replied confidently. "Now that I know where the majority of the damage is, I can do something about it." She put her hands right above the injury, and concentrated. Her eyes slid closed.

A bright light emerged from her hands, washing over the soldier. Hunnicut shielded his eyes from the sheer brightness. Thankfully, it was only for a moment, and soon dissipated.

What was left behind was enough to make him, and everyone else who was watching freeze.

Where a bleeding, dying man once was, a healthy, perfectly fine soldier was starting to sit up, looking around in confusion. Aside from the few nicks and cuts on his face, he was okay.

Adria sat back, blinking. The effort to heal a person was taxing to her, and would take a while for her to recover. Still, she knew she had to ask. "Are any others about to die?"

Hunnicut shook his head, still in shock. "No, no I think we've got the rest of them. Thanks."

"Glad to be of help." Staggering to her feet, she got out of everyone's way. It would take her an hour to overcome the weakness, but until then, she was useless.

Janet watched the young Orici as she stumbled over to the nearest wall, and was impressed. Obviously, when the Ori created her, they made sure that she entered the world with all of their powers, though at a reduced level. There was no other way she would have been able to heal anyone.

Focusing on the one she was checking, she nodded. "Looks like the bullet went clean through this one," she said, addressing the nurse next to her. "Get him started on plasma, then find out his blood type. He'll need a transfusion quickly."  
"Yes, Doctor."

Satisfied, the SG doctor turned to Potter. "You need an extra set of hands in the OR?"

Potter nodded. "We could always use another doctor. Feel free."

"Thank you." She caught sight of another body, and went over to it, pulling the bandage up.

**

* * *

**

Realm 2

Aluminum Siren gazed sullenly at the far wall, not meeting the eyes of her captors. The ropes tying her to the chair were magically endowed, and thus very difficult to break. And even if she could escape her confines, she would still have to contend with the Guardians, a Goddess, a young swordsman, and a Force wielding warrior. In essence, she was staying put, regardless.

Wendy observed their captive for a moment, eyes never blinking. Something was off about this woman, something that was there, but wasn't supposed to be. What, she didn't know, but there it was.

Urd was a tad bit angrier. She had arrived just moments after the battle, and was more than ready to break this Animamate over her knee. All of the destruction, and for what? Nothing! And now she was sitting here, doing nothing but babysitting this traitorous Senshi!

Peter just stood there, ready in the off chance Siren tried to escape. He had already proven that he could tango with the best of them. And, despite the fact she had the potential to become the most powerful Jedi of all time, he felt the need, the desire, to protect Wendy. It wasn't surprising. He had always had the desire to protect her.

They all started when the door opened, admitting Athena into the room. Her eyes narrowed slightly as they took in the prisoner, before turning to Urd. "Has she said anything?" she asked.

Urd shook her head. "Nothing. She hasn't even demanded to be released, which I find to be very irritating. She just… stares at the wall like it's going to become a monster."

"Thank you." Satisfied, the First Class Goddess stepped forward until she was directly in front of Siren. "I am Athena, First Class Goddess!" she began. "You are Sailor Aluminum Siren, Senshi of the planet Jorons. One of the first worlds to be hit by Sailor Galaxia, you surrender your Starseed to her, in hopes that it would spare your world." She paused in her little recital, waiting for a response.

Siren remained quiet, almost as if she didn't care. In a sense, she didn't. Galaxia was going to punish her for failing. That was all that mattered.

"You are wanted by ten worlds for murder, coercing three leaders into committing treason, and igniting several wars across this quadrant of space. Now we can add attempted murder to those charges. What do you say in your own defense?"

Still nothing.

"How about saying something?" Urd snapped angrily. "Those charges are enough to have you put to death on a hundred worlds! Perhaps you'd like to face the tribunals in Heaven? They're worse. You could be incarcerated in the Luna dungeon, even."

"And you will all die."

Athena's eyes widened at Siren's completely calm expression, and the rather blunt statement. Urd looked like she had been sucker punched. Peter's hand inched towards his sword.

Only Wendy seemed relatively unaffected by her lack of attitude. If anything, she seemed to be distracted by something, as her gaze had slid towards some point on the wall. She knew something was wrong. The only question was; what?

Suddenly, she snapped her attention to Siren, realizing what it was. "Do you _want_ to die?" she asked gently, standing up.

Siren stared at her for a second, as if trying to gauge her intentions. "No," she replied. "But I will anyway."

"Because you failed… and captured by your enemy."

"What do you want?" she snarled, mystified by this human's questions. What did she want from her? Why did she even care? "Are you going to be my executioner? Or are you going just keep asking me questions?"

Wendy shook her head. "You are really frightened, aren't you? But not of us."

Siren flinched.

"You're frightened of this Sailor Galaxia," she continued, apparently piecing the story together. "You're afraid that she is going to destroy you."

"She already has. She took my starseed, clapped these… things… onto my wrists, and sent me out to wreak havoc across the cosmos! And now I failed in my mission! She's going to finish the job!"

Peter blinked, surprised by this. But then again, he decided that he shouldn't be surprised. There was still a whole lot he didn't understand, and this was one of them.

"These bracelets… they keep you in this world, but under her command," Wendy mused, turning to Athena. Athena nodded, letting her know that she could continue on. "What would happen if these were removed?"  
"I'd disappear… why?"

"Hold on." Gesturing to the Goddesses to follow her, she made her way out the door.

Athena looked at Urd, who shrugged before following. Neither of them really understood what went through the head of Wendy Moira Angela Darling. And, it was probably better if they didn't, either.

They had enough trouble trying to figure out Keiichi and Belldandy's relationship.

----

As soon as they were outside, Wendy looked around. "I think we should try to release her," she began immediately.

Her blunt statement was met with absolute silence. They wouldn't have been more surprised if she simply came out and called them all horrible names. "Free… her?" Urd repeated, incredulous. "Wendy, didn't you hear her? If we remove those damn bracelets, she'll disappear. Those things are what are keeping her here in the first place."

"They are also stopping her from making morally correct choices. Look at her. It's obvious that she's afraid for her life, but she's not afraid of us. Whatever hold Chaos has on her, it's only as good as the durability of her bracelets. If we remove them, we might be able to reach the real Aluminum Siren."

Athena smiled. Obviously, Wendy was an optimist by nature. "Wendy, despite everything you have most likely seen, there are some absolutes in life still," she said quietly. "Any who go to the darkness never return from it. And there is no way to free a soul bound to Chaos. It just cannot be done"

"Yes, it can."

Everyone turned to see Sailor Moon standing there, her eyes firm and unyielding. "I know, because I possess the ability to do just that."

"What?!"

Wendy nodded. "Now you know why I suggested it. I saw her heal an entire group of people with her wand. If she can do that, then focusing her power on only one person should be a piece of cake, right?"

Serenity nodded. "I've done this a number of times… or will, if you want to get technical. My powers are now completely healing related now, which means I can purge anyone or anything of their darkness easy." She speared the First Class Goddess with a gaze that was equal to her formidable mother. "No one should be written off, simply because they tried to save their world. Give e a chance, and we will have Sailor Aluminum Siren on our side once again."

Athena thought about it for a long moment, while everyone watched her. The plan did have merit, and if what Sailor Moon said was true, then they had a way to save anyone who had ever been taken by Galaxia. It was almost an impossible dream. She sighed. "All right," she said. "You can try. But I will be standing by, in case you fail."

Sailor Moon nodded. "Don't worry," she replied confidently. "I know that I will be successful."

----

"They are going to what?" Ma-Ti asked, surprised. Out of all of the things he had heard, that was the one that he had not anticipated.

Peter nodded, a little concerned himself. "Apparently, Sailor Moon, at some point in the future, is going to possess the ability to heal a person of their darkness. Now, Wendy thinks it'll effectively free Aluminum Siren from Chaos's control. That way, we can obtain information concerning Galaxia's plans."

Molly stood up, eyes bulging. "That… person… is responsible for the death of almost hundred people, and you want to save her?! What did she ever do to warrant that kind of consideration?!"

He shrugged helplessly. "From what Sailor Moon told us, she's as much of a victim as the people she killed. In fact, she was among the first victims Chaos took, right after Galaxia." His eyes softened. "Besides, we can't kill her. If we did, then we'd be no better than Galaxia herself."

Laura nodded, almost to herself. That sounded very familiar. "Molly, I lost my father to a Goa'uld," she said. "I'll be honest with you… when I first saw his body, I wanted to find the bastard responsible, and kill him. I wanted to stain my hands in his blood… which is not how I usually think, but that was how I felt at the time." She took a breath. "However, as I stared at what was left of my home, I realized something very important. And I didn't need any help from anyone to figure that out."

Molly just looked at her. "And what is that?" she asked.

Laura stood up, smiling sadly. "Revenge will never bring those we care for back, nor will it bring redemption. All revenge will do is stain our souls with hatred and guilt. And I know that neither my father, or your beloved would want that for either of us."

Belldandy stood up, her eyes almost filled with fresh tears. "They're right, Molly. Hatred is never the answer. My hatred for Sakar almost cost me my life, my family, and those who fight for justice, simply because I didn't have a good reason to fight. I didn't have a cause worth fighting for."

Molly just looked at them all for a second, mulling over what they had all just said. Her expression was inscrutable, and for a few seconds, they feared that it didn't register.

Then she sighed, sitting back down. "No… no it wouldn't," she whispered, almost helplessly. "Nothing could bring everyone we care about back."

"No… nothing will," Peter replied. "All we can do… is make the most of what we get in life."

Gi turned to look at him, her eyes watering with unshed tears. Peter Pan was supposed to be carefree, proud and defiant to the last. To hear such a sentiment coming from him of all people, told her how serious the situation had become for him. He had just lost his home, and everything that he loved about it.

And that was something that was going to happen many, many more times to a whole lot of people before the war ended.

**

* * *

**

Zion

It was a rare moment in time when Alania strolled through the busy streets of Zion. It was ever rarer when she did it twice in one month. A large number of the population could count up to thirty the number of times she walked the streets.

But there was a reason she was walking the streets. She was heading for where Shayera was living.

Unlike most Guardians, who had only vacation homes in the capital city, Shayera was one of the few who kept a permanent residence. Like the Potters of old, she used to take a mission, then return and enjoy a few years of rest, while she cleared out her paperwork. Now that she had, she was probably enjoying a nice, relaxing bath to help her forget her troubles.

A very unladylike snort emerged from her nose. More likely she was practicing her sword skills. Even now, she could never understand Spartans.

Surprisingly, she was wrong on both accounts. Shayera wasn't enjoying a bath, nor was she practicing. Instead, she was sitting on her couch, looking at photographs of her family. Her husband, a wonderful man who enjoyed Italian and Andorian cuisine, had been killed in the line of duty by Darth Necros. Her son, who had been her first born, had been kidnapped by an agent of Trigon. They located his corpse almost three weeks later… or what was left of it. She had almost taken her own life, had Alania and Angelus not stopped her.

And of course, Galia. Taken by Chaos, and used as its vessel. Presently, she held a picture of her second born when she was but a child.

A tear slid down the mighty Guardian's cheek, knowing that her life had been one tragedy after another. Some days, she wondered why she was still doing this, why she should be going on.

Then other days, she wanted to tear Chaos out of her daughter by the proverbial teeth.

Fury enveloped her very being, growing stronger… until the sound of breaking glass and metal snapping. Looking down, she caught sight of the now mangled photo in her hands. Sighing, she quickly restored it to pristine condition, before setting it down on the mantle. She couldn't give up on Galia. Nor would she. Galia was a Senshi, a Trainee, and a Spartan. If anyone could keep their hope, it was her.

"Am I interrupting?"

Shayera didn't bother grabbing her sword. The presence behind her was just as familiar as John's, if not more. Instead, she turned around, still holding the picture. "Do you remember her?" she asked, holding it up.

Alania smiled. "She was so cute as a child," she replied, remembering those days.

The Spartan nodded, thinking back on those days. "She had just finished her first year the Academy, and was telling me about everything she had learned. I remember how she had to show me how to use a sword properly." She chuckled slightly at the memory. "I was so proud when she graduated with high honors, with majors in diplomacy and tactical strategy. It was… it was just before you had me take command of the _Dynas_."

The First Guardian sat down next to her, golden eyes crimping slightly. "We've got a chance to get her back," she said quietly. "We will not mess this up."

And then she held her former apprentice as, in one of the few times one would ever see a Spartan appear weak, Shayera Hall began to cry.

* * *

Well, here is Chapter Thirty Four for everyone's inspection. Please read and review. The next chapter will not have SG-1, but will continue this part of the story. And, if I am able to, I will have Trip and T-Pol back in the story, as well as another children heroine.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five**

**Realm 2, Stonehenge**

The fluxing energy that reached for the skies out of Stonehenge was something that couldn't be overlooked forever. A small crowd, mostly tourists, had formed near the ancient site, taking pictures and chattering among themselves, pointing at the strange sight.

But they were nowhere near the structure. That privilege was left to the team called upon by the British government. A team that was specifically trained to catalogue this kind of phenomenon.

Surprisingly enough, this team was not part of the British government, though it worked very closely with them. It was owned and operated by a private corporation, and had been since the mid 1980's. As a result, they were never sure what would happen.

So it was with a great deal of surprise when the energy field fluxed for a moment, before allowing to humanoid shaped beings to leave. It was one of the rarer things they had come across, so it was with a little trepidation that as they made their way away from Stonehenge. A messenger was dispatched to find their leader, and get her there ASAP.

The two entities, on the other hand, took a look around, as if a little unnerved by all the attention that was now focused upon them. If they hadn't known any better, it looked as those the two beings hadn't been expecting that.

But as the two came closer, they began to understand why that was the case. It was Commander Tucker and T-Pol of the Starship _Enterprise_, both who were busy shaking their heads in exasperation.

"Geez, you think they'd be keeping their eyes on the TV," Trip muttered in annoyance as they started walking towards the small camp. "I mean, Earth's got bigger problems than a giant Technicolor display shootin' outta Stonehenge. Alien invasion, for instance. A powerful spirit also springs to mind."

T-Pol nodded, though with a touch of humor. "On the other hand, there's not much they can do about that, so logically, they're trying to distract themselves with the pretty Technicolor display shooting out of Stonehenge."

"Good point…. Hey there, pal! Ya mind telling us why you're all here?"

That simple question, directed at one of the technicians of that team, was more than enough to shake everyone out of their extreme level of preparation. It also served to remind them that they had been part of a small group sent to these very ruins. The brief from the U.S. told them as much.

That specific technician stepped forward, clearing his throat slightly. "Commander Tucker, Miss T'Pol," he started. "We were sent by the British Government to analyze this… phenomenon. It's something of a mystery, and we thought that…"

"It went somewhere else," T-Pol finished, smirking slightly. She was getting far better with her facial expressions, and she knew it. "Well, you're partially correct. It does lead to another world, but it is a world specifically created for one purpose… to help two people find their destiny."

"That's all I needed to hear," a new voice stated, getting all of their attention. It wasn't difficult of course, as it was one of authority. But the authority was tempered with experience, an experience that the woman in question should possess.

At first glance, there was nothing special about her as she approached them. She was of average height, with raven hair falling down her back, tied off in a ponytail. She wore a simple white blouse and black pants, with nothing distinguishable about them. A beauty, to be sure, but nothing that set her apart from all of the other beautiful women across the planet.

But it was the intangibilities that set her apart. She was obviously someone that was used to the weighty mantle of command, and she shouldered it magnificently. Her eyes, sharp and attentive, also conveyed wisdom beyond logic. Her very stature seemed to hold a regal bearing.

Trip almost saluted her, barely refraining. "Ma'am?" he asked, confusion appearing.

"We're here for that. We were trying to determine whether or not it went to a particular place." The young woman held her hand out, which Trip took. "I'm Susan Pevensie. I'm head of this unit."

T-Pol refrained from shaking, instead giving her the traditional vulcan salute. She may have emotions, but she was still a touch telepath. Besides, something about the name seemed vaguely familiar to her. "Miss Pevensie, I don't know what you are looking for, but I can assure you that you won't find it here."

"I believe you. Still, I have to make sure that there aren't any back doors or loopholes. These kinds of doorways always seem to have those." Susan turned around. "In the meantime, since you're here, I might as well bring you up to speed on recent events. Please follow me. Boys, get to work."

Confused, the two officers quickly followed her as her subordinates moved in, scanning equipment at the ready.

----

Taking a deep breath, Sailor Moon gathered her resolve, her strength, and her scepter, and entered the room with which they were holding Aluminum Siren. "Hello, sister Senshi," she said in greeting, closing the door behind her.

Siren stared at her, suddenly suspicious of this friendly greeting. If she didn't know any better, she would have thought that the Moon Princess was trying to be nice to her. "What do you want?" she asked. "Isn't my defeat enough humiliation for you people?"

Serenity shook her head negative, both to her question and to her suspicion. "We're not here to humiliate you, or pass sentence. In fact, there is a new venue that I would like to offer you. A way for you to be free of Chaos's control, and become who you once were."

"… There isn't any way to do that."

"There is. I've done it many times before. You've borne witness to it only a few scant hours ago."

Siren stared at her, trying to convince herself that it was a lie. But she had seen the evidence for herself. The means to be free of Chaos's control, to return her to a state before her moment of weakness, was worth more than all of the power in the galaxy. But it had also been a pointless dream. Others had offered it to her, but had only been con artists out to make a fortune for themselves. After a while, she simply stopped looking.

But here was this Senshi, a woman who had no reason to help her and every reason to destroy her, offering her this impossible miracle. And, from what she had witnessed, this one wasn't lying. But why?

As if she had read her mind, Sailor Moon smiled. "Very few people would have the will to resist ultimate power," she said. "It's not enough of a reason to just give up on them. Sometimes, all they need is a little help to find their way again." She didn't move from the door, simply waiting. "Do you want me to release you from those bracelets?"

Siren struggled hard with herself, torn between two desires. On one hand, she didn't want to lose the power that the bracelets had given her. They had made her a successful part of Galaxia's operation for centuries. At the same time, she wanted to use her powers for good again, and she wanted to be free from the darkness once and for all. And, for her part, Sailor Moon just stood there, patiently waiting for her to decide. She did nothing to encourage her to make the right choice.

Finally, she sighed, looking up at the Moon Queen. "Do it," she whispered. "Please."

Sailor moon nodded, bringing her scepter up almost immediately. "_Moon Honeymoon Power Kiss_!"

----

Ma-Ti and Laura felt the power of the Silver Crystal a split second before pink light shot out from underneath the door, making several nurses and the guards nearest it jump in surprise. The rest of them just looked at the door, waiting expectantly for the light show to end.

Slowly, the light died away, the emanations faded back out of the psychic plains. Everything returned to normal.

Wendy made her way to the door as the others slowly stood up. She opened it, keeping her hand near her lightsaber in case it was needed. "Sailor Moon?" she asked quietly.

Sailor Moon turned around, grinning widely. "Aluminum Siren has been freed," she replied, almost as if the outcome had never been in doubt. "Let Athena know that she can be debriefed without Chaos breathing down her neck."

Wendy nodded, breathing out again. "No problem."

----

Susan opened the door to her trailer, letting the two _Enterprise_ crew members in, before shutting it. "You two want anything to drink?" she asked. "Unfortunately, I don't have any tea."

T-Pol nodded in understanding. "It's quite all right. I'll just have some water."

Trip shrugged. "Ah'll just have a beer."

Nodding, the other woman went over to the small fridge, pulling out several bottles. "I imagine that you have quite a few questions concerning my presence here," she said conversationally. "I've got a few concerning yours, as well."

"Well… let's get this over with. Ask away."

And, for the next hour, the three traded questions and answers at a lightning fast pace. Susan learned much of the mission to aide the Planeteers in their battle to defeat the Death Dealer Sakar, an entity that she had been made aware of by other sources. They, in turn, learned of the recent arrival of another starship, the attack on Tokyo, and the deaths of some of Earth's deadliest eco terrorists. They also learned of her team's history, and the reasons for its being.

T-Pol put her water bottle down, somewhat unnerved by how much had happened since they had left. "Things are starting to unravel here. It's almost as if madness has begun to creep in, like the very infrastructure is starting to break from the strain."

"Well, you are partially correct." Susan set her beer bottle down. "It is unraveling, but in a very controlled manner." She stood up. "You see, the attack on Tokyo was well coordinated. The battles with Nukem, Skumm, and Bleak were orchestrated to be a win-win situation for someone else. In essence, every single action that has been taken by the good guys has been manipulated. By who, I couldn't even begin to tell you."

Now T-Pol was curious, and suspicious at this newfound piece of information. The way Susan said that with such certainty, made her think that she had witnessed such an act before. "You seem… awfully well informed for someone who has never been to other worlds," she said. "How do you know so much?"

Sighing, the other woman stood up, making her way over to the window. Her gaze became somewhat distant. "I never said I have never gone to other worlds. In fact, I have quite a bit of experience in that." She turned around. "Tell me, in your time, have you read the stories of C.S. Lewis? _The Chronicles of Narnia._"

T-Pol nodded, suddenly placing her name. She had those very stories during her time at the Vulcan Embassy in San Francisco. "I'm guessing that you were named after one of the characters of those books."

"Actually… no. Though they are written as children's books, they're actually a simplified account of four siblings going into a magical world, and saving it from various evils. It left out a lot of the struggles they endured, and some of the sacrifices they had to make."

"And… you're a descendent of that family?" Trip asked. "I seem to recall most of the family died at the end of the last book, with Susan as the only survivor."

"Mister Lewis died as well," T-Pol reminded him. "If what you're saying is true, then you are the direct descendant of Susan Pevensie, and are named in her honor."

Susan smirked a little. "Actually, you're not completely right there, Commander T-Pol." She sat back down, eyes refocusing on them with incredible intensity. "You see, I'm not the descendant of the last Pevensie. I _am_ Susan Pevensie, the last living member of my family. The last living Queen of old Narnia."

Now, had they met this woman a mere week ago, they would have judged her as delusional, arrogant, and a complete fraud. However, in the space of that week, they had come across magic, angels, all powerful beings, and also another set of children book heroes, not to mention a Jedi Knight. Those experiences made them a little more open to the concept of her identity.

Only one thing nagged at them, though. If she was actually who she said she was, then how was she looking as young as she did?

She seemed to sense the unasked question, and shrugged helplessly. "I have no real idea why I have remained looking so young," she replied. "I am over sixty years old, so I should at least be in a wheelchair. All I know is that I can't die… and I have had one hell of a life. After my family's deaths, I enlisted in the army. I was stationed in Korea during the war, and spent some time in a North Korean prison. For some reason, every beating I took healed within the space of a few hours."

"You were in Korea?"

"And Vietnam, though under a false name for that. Afterwards, I retired to the private sector, and began building an organization, whose mandate was to protect both Earth and Narnia from anyone who would want to do either harm. This team is part of that business."

"And you've been doing it ever since," Trip finished.

Susan shrugged. "Not just that," she replied. "I'm also one of the most active spokespersons for saving the environment, and a hell of an inventor. Most of the stuff is too advanced for general use in the population, and won't be for at least a decade."

"But the rest?"

She grinned. "Let's just say I hold the patents for a few gadgets. I won't tell you what, because it's a pretty long list… and I prefer working behind the scenes." Her smile faded. "Needless to say, I have a great deal of experience with hiding in plain sight."

"We've gathered that within the last few minutes," T-Pol replied, still a little bewildered. She was never going to take fairy tales for granted ever again.

Susan nodded, getting up. "Well, the Geo Cruiser is presently still parked where you left it. I think you should check in with your captain before he starts wondering where you went off to."

Trip nodded, getting up. "Probably a good idea. Tucker to _Enterprise_."

**

* * *

**

Zion, Dimensional Cartography

"We have new information for you, Eminence," one of the technicians on duty said, addressing Alania. "It appears as though Galaxia is holding off on her attack on Earth for some reason. We can't say for certain, but I think it might be because of a powerful energy surge that was detected almost ten minutes ago."

Alania nodded, looking at the screen. The energy blast that temporarily showed up had been powerful enough to be detected from beyond the borders of that universe. It was no wonder Chaos was holding off on attacking. "Were you able to identify the energy signature?" she asked.

"Well, that's the confusing thing…"

"Spill it."

The technician hesitated for a second, as if debating whether or not it was safe to say anything. "Well… the energy is also present on Lunar, Ma'am. In fact, unless the computer has gone haywire, it is classified as a stronger form of Sailor Moon's power. Senshi Prime class."

The First Guardian's eyes widened a bit in surprise. While she was aware of the full potential of the Silver Crystal, and the bloodline that controlled it, to hear that it was in two places at once was quite the pill to swallow. And the stronger of the two was located right in the heart of the Big Ten. This would throw everything out of focus, destroy it.

Hold on… it was on both Lunar and Realm 2? "What about an inversion?" she asked quickly. "Realm Two's been experiencing that rather frequently these days."

"Scanning, scanning… confirmed. We have temporal eddies. Time variation puts this traveler from the mid thirtieth century."

"And will wonders never cease?" This meant that this was Sailor Moon from the future, and from the looks of her, the first one since the Great Alpha Serenity to utilize the full power of her Henshin. Judging from the power she was using, it was possible that she was even stronger. "On the bright side, I'd say Chaos is going to have its hands full trying to fight both this stronger Sailor Moon, and Shayera when the time comes."

The technician turned around. "Do you want us to tell her, Eminence?" she asked.

"No, I will. I have a better chance of surviving than you. If I die, beat the Spartan into the ground with a massive roll of salami."

"Yes, Eminence."

Alania rolled her eyes, walking out. "I wish everyone would stop calling me Eminence," she grumbled. "I really hate being old…"

**

* * *

**

Realm 2,

_**Enterprise**_

The Mess Hall was filled to capacity as Archer entered, members of the crew joking, eating, and basically enjoying one final meal before the coming storm. And that was storm was coming up fast, one that would most likely change the way they saw the universe forever.

His gaze rolled over to the far end, where Reed and Phlox were deep in conversation with Mayweather, obviously whispering. There were his targets; what remained of his senior staff. And obviously, whatever they were talking about wasn't something they wanted others to overhear.

Deciding to find out what it was, the Captain wove his way around the tables, making sure not to hit anyone in the back of the head. Quickly dodging around one of the enlisted men, he made a mental note to have this area of the ship increased by at least ten feet. There was nothing but empty bulkhead to the right, after all.

Mayweather, who had the best vantage point, caught sight of him as he approached. "Hey, Captain," he said in greeting. "The bridge starting to get too lonely?"

"Like you wouldn't believe," Archer replied, taking a moment to see out the window before sitting down. There, following their orbital path around Earth with the Asgard, was _Voyager_. After the big announcement from Kimsi, Janeway had returned to her ship, and hadn't been heard from since. Probably for the best. It would take time for her to prepare her ship for battle. Time that none of them had anymore. "What are you three conspiring about?"

Phlox turned around, Denoblian smile in full force. "I was just telling Mister Mayweather and Mister Reed about my research in determining how a person is born with midi chlorians, and how those little creatures are capable of allowing someone tremendous power. I think it may have definite medical properties for helping serious injuries heal much more rapidly."

"He asked Mrs. Darling if he could take a blood sample for testing," Reed asked. "She said she would think about it."

Archer chuckled. Leave it to Phlox to discover a potential medical breakthrough in the midst of a conflict. It was probably something that all doctors shared. "You know, I recently learned that _Voyager_ has something that they call an Emergency Medical Hologram… a holographic doctor, if you will. He's their Chief Surgeon… their only surgeon, in fact."

Reed snorted. "I think that you can't really depend on something made out of photons and light to be a good physician."

"I don't think they had any other choice, Malcolm. Besides, from what I've heard, he's actually a very good physician, if a little arrogant."

"An accepted flaw among all in the medical profession, I can assure you," Phlox replied. "I can be arrogant sometimes concerning my knowledge and skill. All we need, sadly, is a few good failures to knock us back off our high horse."

"Sad but true." Mayweather took a sip of coffee. "That goes the same way with almost every career, in my experience."

"I hear you there, Travis." Archer stood up again. "Well, I'm glad that you three can find things to do. I've been wandering the ship for the better part of an hour, and it's extremely boring when everything is as prepped as it's ever going to be." He frowned as they chuckled. "Oh sure, laugh at the Captain. You sure are a loyal bunch."

_"Bridge to Captain Archer."_

"Saved from court martial, gentlemen. Archer here."

_"We're receiving a transmission from the surface. It's Commander Tucker. He and T-Pol have just returned from their mission."_

"I'll be on the surface in about ten minutes." After he made a particular call…

----

Janeway finished the latest entry into her Captain's Log, and leaned back, sighing. If there was one thing she hated, it was time travel, and dimensional jumping. It gave her a headache even thinking about it.

Looking out her window, she caught sight of the _Enterprise_ as it slowly passed by her window. She felt a sense of awe, as well as a hint of understanding of the pressures he was under. He, better than anyone, knew the pressures of being the first captain to explore uncharted space. He was the one to make first contact with the Klingons, the Romulans, the Andorians, and the Tellarites, as well as over sixty different species. It was by his hand that the United Federation of Planets truly began.

But it also seemed that he was also responsible for stopping the Borg from reaching their own space, and returning with an armada. The Twenty Second Century wouldn't have stood a chance against them. She would have to ask Seven about _that_ particular detail when she had the chance.

"_Bridge to Captain Janeway."_

Grinning, the captain looked up. "Go ahead, Tuvok."

"_Captain, the _Enterprise_ has just hailed us. Captain Archer wishes to speak to you."_

"Pipe it through to my Ready Room, Commander," she replied, activating her terminal again. She gave a little smile as Archer's face appeared. "Captain, what can I do for you?"

"_My First Officer and Chief Engineer have just returned from their mission," _Archer replied, grinning. _"I figured that you would like to beam down to the surface and meet them for yourself."_

Now she was intrigued. "I'll be right down, Captain."

"_We're meeting them at Stonehenge. Apparently, there's someone down there they would like us to meet."_

"Understood." Now Stonehenge was something she had never seen before in real life or in the holodeck. And apparently, according to Archer, something was happening within the historical sight. It promised to be quite the trip.

The only question she had; was what that was.

----

Reed readjusted the sensor grid for a second, keeping the mystery ship in his sights. He couldn't understand why it was simply sitting there, just outside of their weapon's range. He also couldn't understand what it was waiting for.

He had just sat down, initiating another sensor sweep, and had caught the ship on sensors for about a second. Focusing every sensor he could on it, he finally grabbed a solid image of it. He was able to get a decent number of scans on it, those which were also rather unsettling. Phaser banks roughly on par with _Voyager_, some sort of long range torpedo, and primary and secondary shields. The length of the hull was more than twice that of _Enterprise_, and quite possibly a much larger crew complement. In short, both starships were seriously outgunned and outnumbered.

Mayweather moved over to his station, looking at the sensor scans on his board. "We're screwed, aren't we?" he asked quietly.

"The ship is slightly more advanced than Janeway's ships, with more armaments, better shields," Reed replied. With Mayweather, he had no need to try and lessen the blow of bad news. As an experienced space farer, he knew better than anyone how treacherous space could be. "That vessel alone would be enough to turn both ships into so much scrap."

"Guess we should be thankful that we have our friends out there, then."

"Yes we should. On the other hand, our hull plating is about as strong as it's ever going to get, and we do have stronger weapons ourselves, so the fight may be a little more even."

Mayweather nodded. "Well, regardless, I'm going to see what I can do to anticipate this thing."

Reed nodded. "I'll have the scans of their propulsion system made available to you when you get off shift. It should help a little."

"Thanks."

The lieutenant turned his attention back to his screens, continuing his silent vigil over the mystery ship on his screens. Like Mayweather, he wanted to be prepared. He actually wanted to see Ex when this was all over… if only to say goodbye.

----

Galaxia felt the connection snap almost immediately, and realized that, however it was possible, Sailor Aluminum Siren was no longer among those under her command.

She had been trying to destroy the bracelets that were the connections for her Animamates, but had run into resistance along the way. For starters, the soul of her host had begun interfering with her powers. Then there was a powerful energy field that had, until recently, settled over Siren's body, making it impossible to target her.

Now she was free, and aware of everything that had happened over the last five thousand years.

"_Everything's falling apart now,"_ Galia Hall stated, from within her spiritual prison, taunting the entity known as Chaos. _"Soon, you will be destroyed, shoved back into your little hole in the Cauldron, where you will stay until the end of time."_

_We will see about that_, was Chaos's reply. Until this battle, none of her Animamates had failed her. But then again, this was the first time they had ever come across Senshi like these. They were just as stubborn, just as resourceful as her host. And what was more, they had several different forms of magic and technology to call upon now.

Now, sitting upon her throne, the Golden Senshi stared at the planet Earth, sensing the energy of the combined fleet awaiting her. She could feel the new vessel as it now orbited the planet with _Enterprise_, noting its advanced design. Another minor problem for her to deal with.

Not only that, but she had suddenly sensed a gout of energy emerging from the ruined world that was once Neverland. Sakar had managed to acquire all of its power, it seemed. Whether or not he was still sane was up for debate.

In the end, she had no choice. If Sakar was now mad, he was a threat to the Deadly Alliance's long term plans. She would have to destroy both him, and Zarm and Gaia herself, as well as everyone else on the planet.

And so, she began.

----

Blight received the word from space almost thirty minutes later. She smiled as she looked at it, realizing what it meant. Galaxia was on the move.

She was almost ready herself. Already, the combined energies of Skumm, Nukem, and Bleak had been transferred into her. Her body was now in the process of adjusting to that much power, bringing her ever closer to her full strength.

She had no doubt that the Golden Senshi would remove the resistance against them with very little difficulty. Chaos had had five thousand years to become stronger, sapping the Milky Way of Senshi Star Seeds. Now, normally, she wouldn't have come here for another few years. However, the mysterious benefactor had warned her of what would happen if she waited. Sailor Moon would grow too powerful and free Galia from her chains, finishing what Alpha Serenity had started all those millennium ago. Sailor Mercury would achieve her maximum strength, and defeat Chaos in battle, ensuring that it would never be able to control another corporeal being for as long as the universe existed.

But then again, this new wrinkle, a Sailor Moon from the future, had yet to be observed. If she had the power to heal phages, like Galaxia said she did…

They had to find a way to stop her, before she freed Galia Hall… or before the mother arrived to do it for her.

----

Susan looked at T-Pol as the transporter began to reform the familiar form of Captain Archer. "Are you absolutely certain that this is a good idea?" she asked. "After all, I have my reasons for being unknown by the rest of the world."

T-Pol nodded. "It is inherently logical, Miss Pevensie," she replied. "Having the aide of a starship captain will complete your analysis of this phenomenon a great deal faster. Besides, Commander Tucker and I need to give our reports to him. Two birds with one stone, if you will."

"Well… when you put it like that, and I really wish you hadn't… who is the other one?"

"… … I have no idea." T-Pol stepped forward as Archer and a complete stranger appeared, both of them immediately gaping at the energy swirl coming Stonehenge. "Captain."

Archer made his way over to her, managing to shift his attention away from the spectacle occurring in front of him, and back onto his Science Officer. "T-Pol," he said in greeting. "I'm going to guess that this is the woman you wanted me to meet."

"Yes, Sir. Captain Archer, I would you to meet Susan Pevensie, last living ruler of Narnia. Miss Pevensie, this is Captain Jonathan Archer of the starship _Enterprise_, and… who are you?"  
The woman stepped forward. "Captain Kathryn Janeway of the starship _Voyager_. Miss T-Pol, Miss Pevensie, a pleasure."

Susan shook both of their hands, smiling slightly. "Likewise, Captains. Now, if you'll both follow me, I'm going to try and explain what you are seeing behind us."

As they started walking, T-Pol leaned in. "I don't recall a _Voyager_ in the Earth fleet," she whispered.

"The Twenty Fourth Century. I'll explain later," Archer replied just as quietly. He was really looking forward to seeing Trip again, though he had a good idea exactly what he was going to say.

Trip was waiting for them as they approached, grinning widely. "Well, well, Cap'n, I see you've found a new friend."

Archer rolled his eyes heavenward at the implication of that sentence. He had been right. Sometimes, he wondered exactly why he was friends with this man.

----

**Hope Island, Crystal Chamber**

Sailor Moon watched as Aluminum Siren spoke to Athena, Qui-Gon, and Kwame, obviously giving them everything she could remember about the Goa'uld's plans, as well as background information on Galaxia. She could already see her very behavior shift almost one eighty from what it was before. It simply meant that she was back to normal. Oh, if only everything else was so easy to change. There would have been fewer wars throughout history, less hatred.

Now came the harder part; convincing Amara to take on the mantle of Sailor Uranus before Galaxia arrived. Every Senshi was going to be needed for the coming battle, and that was most likely approaching closer by the minute.

Of course, if a problem arose in Tokyo, the city wasn't completely helpless. Peter and Wendy were still there with Belldandy and Urd, as well as the three Star Lights and Kakyuu, patrolling the city. If there was a battle, they would be ready.

Ma-Ti joined her, watching the conversation for a moment. "How's she holding up?" he asked quietly.

Serenity shrugged. "She's holding up just fine," she replied. "She's confident, and has an eidetic memory to boot. Hopefully, we'll be able to free Galaxia without the hassle I had to endure the first time around."

"And if not?"

"Prepare for the complete devastation of Tokyo."

That was something he wasn't very happy to hear, and opted not to inquire as to how she knew. He simply turned around, and went over to Gi, who had been busy talking to Laura. He was no master tactician, and he was definitely not a warrior. He was a pacifist by nature, someone who healed, not hurt. He had been absolutely sure about himself, and everything he did.

But now, the battles that he had witnessed, and participated in, had made him question himself, and everything he believed in. The war had put him in conflict with his own conscience.

Laura sent out a comforting tendril to his mind, brushing against him soothingly. _'Don't worry, Ma-Ti,'_ she thought. _'In this instance, you're no different than anyone else in this situation. And no one thinks any less of you, my love.'_

Gi, suddenly realizing that they were no longer alone, smiled a bit. "I'll leave you two alone for a couple of minutes. I just remembered that I had to talk to Katie about something." She quickly left the Chamber, letting them talk in relative privacy.

The two Heart Planeteers walked out as well, making their way down to a secluded part of the beach. The refugees had already been transferred off the island by Yggdrasil, after extensive searches had turned up no sign of Doctor Blight. The island was now eighty people emptier. In fact, the only ones who had stayed behind were the Darling family, simply because they had nowhere else to go, and Wheeler's little sister, Katie. And that was because she was waiting for him to come home.

Laura opened up with the first question. "Do you… do you know what we're going to do after this war is over?" she asked. "I mean, I don't think you want to stay here on this island forever, and I want to go back to raising horses."

Ma-Ti frowned for a second, thinking about it. Up until last week, he had thought that he would remain on Hope Island until he was too old to continue on. "I do not know," he replied after a while. "So much has happened, so much has changed. The devastation I have witnessed… seeing your father's body, just left there to burn… it has opened my eyes to the more than the just the risks to me and my friends. It is the risk to our families… to our friend's families. I do not think I could remain a Planeteer after all of this death."

She understood what he meant by that. It was something she been thinking about since they had returned from South America. "That is the problem with war," she said. "All it is really good for is keeping the population down. I doubt that will change any time soon."

"I know, it is just…"

Laura smiled at him. "We just have to remember that all wars eventually end. All we can hope to do is try and retain some sense of who we are, and then try and live in a post war world." She shrugged at his surprised look. "It's the only thing I could think of saying that's true."

He smiled, squeezing her hand. "And I needed to hear that. Thank you." His smiled faded. "I just hope that Aluminum Siren can live in a post war galaxy. She has a lot of fences to mend."

Now that, he had no doubt she would. Senshi were tough people. She would endure it, and regain the Galaxy's trust again.

Unfortunately for them, that still left three other Animamates and Galaxia, not to mention the Goa'uld and Sunak were both waiting in the darkness, waiting to strike. All it would take was for one of them to be successful, and the world would be lost. The Deadly Alliance would win.

"_Ma-Ti, Laura, you better get back to the Crystal Chamber,"_ Gaia suddenly stated to them both, ending their conversation. _"She's coming." _

There was only one person that she could mean. They turned around, and started running.

----

"What is that?" Chakotay asked.

Tuvok ran another scan, and came up with the same answer as before; nothing. "Unsure, Commander," he replied. "It does not read as a torpedo, but it is moving too fast to be a probe."

What they were referring to was a single gold steak of energy that was, at that moment making its way towards Earth. It had weaved through the formation of ships, avoiding just about everything they had thrown out to capture it.

"I've just gotten an energy reading on it." Harry looked up, his eyes wide. "Whatever that is, it's generating as much power as _Voyager_." His eyes widened as he took another look. ""I'm reading biological tissue. I can't tell what it is, but it's definitely alive! And it's heading for Earth!"

The First Officer took only a moment to think. His action was even faster. "Tuvok, contact the Captains, and tell them that we have something approaching the planet. Harry, monitor its trajectory, and give me a possible landing site."

"Aye, Sir."

----

The golden streak in question was none other than Galaxia, making her way to Earth for a confrontation against its defenders. Defeating them before Sakar returned had become all that more paramount. Besides, she wanted to have a word with her former servant about the retirement package she had been offered.

----

Janeway blinked in surprise at the woman's story. Now that was something she hadn't had heard before in her life. Beside her, Archer was taking it better, though only because he had prior experience meeting childhood heroes.

Trip grinned at the silly look on her face. "Ya know, I think I'm going to enjoy meetin' the rest of her crew. They look like they've never dealt with curveballs before."

"Just not magical ones," Janeway replied, shaking her head. Magic was such a new thing to her that she had trouble wrapping it around her head. And she had met entities who were godlike… and very annoying to boot.

Susan smiled in commiseration, knowing what the captain was going through. "I know how you feel," she said. "You should have seen my first reaction when I went to Narnia for the first time. My siblings didn't leave me alone about it for six months afterwards."

Archer rolled his eyes heavenward. Already, the surprises of this Earth were starting to wear thin on him. "Well, this has been a rather interesting day, but now I need to get my people back to the _Enterprise_. Something has come up, something we need to check out."

"Of course." Susan stood up. "I need to get back to my work, anyway. Good luck in whatever you have to do."

"Thanks." Archer waited until she had left, before turning around. "Bre-tac hasn't reported back for any reason. We're going to investigate, and make contact with the Sunak fleet."

T-Pol stared at him for a second, as if her Vulcan mind was taken out of commission with his statement. "Captain," she started, quickly recovering, "do you remember which ship is part of that fleet? From what I could gather from our rather brief encounter, there's a good chance they'll attack us once we get in range of their weapons. And they've most likely had their armaments upgraded, just like ours."

"Not ta mention the fact that there's more of 'em than there are of us," Trip added, leaning in.

Archer nodded. "I'm not going there to fight them. I'm going to talk."

Janeway leaned in. "My ship's sensors detected a small object in geosynchronous orbit. We think it's a spy satellite of some kind."

That got their attention, and helped paint a rather interesting picture for them all. "They've been watching this world for some time."

"Definitely."

Trip sighed, leaning in slightly. "Well…"

"Voyager_ to Janeway."_

Janeway slapped her comm badge. "Janeway here."

"_Captain, sensors have an unidentified object entering Earth's atmosphere at roughly Mach Six. It is a biological life form of some kind."_

T-Pol blinked, a sense of dread beginning to form. "Where is it heading?" she asked.

"Tuvok, where is it heading?"

"_It is going to land in Tokyo in approximately ten minutes."_

Archer was up in an instant, his communicator in hand. "_Enterprise_, this is Captain Archer. I need all remaining MACOS to beam down to Tokyo immediately, all armed to the teeth. Then transport myself, T-Pol, and Commander Tucker there. We have incoming."

"_Understood, Sir,"_ Reed replied, before signing off.

Susan stood up, heading over to the small kitchen. "I'm going with you," she said, with a tone that brooked no opposition from anyone.

Archer opened his mouth to say no, then thought better of it. If she had been keeping up with her archery practice, then they had a better chance of stopping whoever it was. "All right, join the party. Hopefully, it won't be the last thing you do." He flipped open his communicator again. "Archer to _Enterprise_. Five for transport directly to Tokyo. Energize."

And as the rather slow transport process began, he wondered what would be awaiting them.

----

**Hope Island**

Sailor Moon suddenly staggered, her eyes widening in surprise. A cloud of rage and fury beyond anything she had experienced since the creation of Crystal Tokyo had suddenly emerged out of nowhere, blinding her mystical senses for a split second.

Unfortunately, she had felt such a fury before, when she was but sixteen.

Gaia didn't see the stagger as her back was turned, so focused she was trying to locate Blight, not to mention following the tendrils of energy that seemed to disappear once they reached the island. Clash didn't see it, as he was helping her. No one in that room saw her.

Mary and Qui-Gon didn't see her stagger… the Force whispered of the same power and fury to them.

Zarm also felt it, and felt something almost completely alien to him… fear.

Qui-Gon looked up, making eye contact with the Senshi out of her time. "There is a powerful disturbance approaching the planet," he said, getting everybody's attention. "Is it what I think it is?"

Sailor Moon nodded, her sorrow letting them all know the seriousness of the situation really was. "It's Galaxia," she replied. "She's almost here."

Potter blinked, her shock clear to all present. "You're sure?"

"Positive. I'd recognize that power signature anywhere. She's just breached the upper atmosphere… and I have a feeling I know where she'll touch down."

Mary nodded. "Tokyo." She turned to the two Guardians. "We need to get back there, as quickly as possible. And you need to come with us."

"Don't worry," James reassured her. "There's no way that we'll let you guys take her on by yourselves. In the meantime, we need to alert Wendy and the others of Galaxia's coming."

"If I know Wendy," George said, finally reminding them all of his presence as she stepped forward, "she will already know."

**

* * *

**

Zion

Alania heard the door open and close, not even turning around. "Now's the time," was all she said… that was needed to be said.

Shayera nodded, vanishing in a burst of light. She had been waiting patiently for what seemed like centuries for the chance to save her daughter.

Now she had her chance.

Well, here is Chapter Thirty Five, which will be split into three parts. Part Two will have Realm 2's alliance and Galaxia colliding, as well as Bre-tac and Zephyer… I hope. Part Three will be Shayera and Galaxia colliding, and the death of a very important person.

Well, I can report two things going on as I write. I have seen the newest Star Trek, which I loved… especially since it isn't going to stampede over the established timeline. And second, I have acquired the DC vs. Marvel graphic novel, and while I would preferred the battles to be longer, it was definitely worth reading… and one of storylines gave me an idea for a future storyline for Silver Star. Anyway, read and review.


	36. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six**

**Realm 2, Deep Space**

Bre-tac sat in meditative silence, undergoing _Kal Mar Re_, while Zephyer sat in comparable silence. Silence, mentally preparing his report.

They had not been thrown into the brig, as the Lieutenant had originally assumed was going to happen. Instead, after a brief conversation with Karken and Sheeyal, they had been escorted to Zephyer's quarters onboard the _Crusher_, and asked to remain there. Neither one wanted to ruin the obvious beginnings of a fragile trust, so they had agreed.

The Telazian looked at the legendary Jaffa, envying his complete serenity in an unknown situation. Of course, the Jaffa was also a legend among both his own people and the Confederation. Against overwhelming odds, he had shown that he could overcome them time and time again. His victories and tactics were required reading at the Sunak Fleet Academy, to prepare them for the Goa'uld and their ever increasing strength. Superior technology alone was never enough, and his people were flexible. And secretly, many of them wanted to have the chance to face the legend in battle.

The door chimed, catching his attention, and focusing him back on the here and now. "Enter!" he barked, as Bre-tac emerged from meditation, standing up with little trouble.

One of the security guards entered, snapping to attention. "We have arrived at the capital," he reported. "Commander Karken has requested both of you to meet him in the hanger bay. The Praetor has agreed to meet with you."

Bre-tac bowed in thanks as both men started forward, making their way towards the turbolift. To be granted an audience with the supreme leader of the Confederation was an honor reserved for a select few. One did not keep such a man waiting.

The guards accompanied them all the way to the lift, before letting them go on alone. Of course, that was because they were being watched all the way to the hanger bay, but it was the thought that counted.

A second pair of guards met them at their destination, escorting them the rest of the way to where Karken was waiting. He gestured them onboard without a word. The two could understand. He was still going over everything he had been told by them, as well as everything he had seen in their observations. He still wasn't sure if he could trust their information, but he was listening. That was something.

The flight into the massive city was just as quiet, though for a completely different reason. For no matter how many times any Sunak citizen saw it, they were always in quiet amazement at the ship that stood as the space faring civilization's capital.

Bre-tac was in awe of the massive city as well. It was definitely an artificial structure, similar in design to a space station, but it was so huge that it could have easily have been a planet. The outer edges of the space city appeared to be the most recently added, gleaming with metals that hadn't been tarnished by the micro debris of space. The rest of it had apparently been there for years, even centuries, repaired and maintained with the same care as their fleet. He wondered what the center of the massive structure looked like.

He got his answer as they approached the landing pad closest to it. It was easily the smallest and most primitive part of the city. In fact, it looked like it had started off life as a transport vessel of some kind.

Karken looked at the central nexus of their capital, guessing what the Jaffa Master was thinking. "It was one of the five colony transports that were launched all those millennium ago," he explained, the first time he had spoken to them since the briefing. "It was decided that, after the home world's destruction, it would become the civilian flagship of our small fleet. Afterwards, when we found a planet with acceptable resources, as well as our colony worlds, we began building the first of the outer extensions to it, anchoring them there with Naquadah/ deuterium alloy supports. A hundred years later, the Confederation was born, and it became our capital city."

Bre-tac nodded. "Indeed." He leaned back. "Your people have done well. What I do not understand is how you did not become a full scale tyrannical power. The speed in which you developed your fleet would have given you immense power against even the Goa'uld."

"We were not interested in it," Zephyer replied, entering the conversation, while the commander punched in his landing code. "Most of the remnants of other species that we came across had been peaceful worlds, much like ours, who had been forced to flee when the Death Dealer came to their worlds. While we decided to remain in space, the worlds we had settled remained unscathed. We had sufficient resources to help them rebuild. As a result, we became a truly consolidated force. And we never forgot the core of what we once were. We were explorer's first, avengers second."

Karken nodded as he entered the docking port, landing his shuttle with great precision. "It wasn't always smooth sailing. We had a great many growing pains, quite a few corrupt rulers, and three civil wars. But we managed to endure, and grow from our mistakes. We haven't had an internal conflict in over five hundred years."

"Then you are indeed very fortunate. The System Lords have fought like scorpions since before the Tauri destroyed Ra. In fact, it had gotten worse… until this blasted alliance."

Now, that, the two Sunak officers could understand. Before the System Lords had come together as a unified force, they had been far easier to deal with. One Goa'uld didn't have the necessary firepower to stand against the Sunak or the Asgard. Now, not only did they have the firepower, they also had the will. Even after Sakar was destroyed, they were going to be in for a long, hard fight.

Sighing, Karken stood up, making his way to the hatch. "The Praetor will listen to reason," he said. "If Earth can be a valuable ally in this war, then we will rescind out invasion plans, and join them in the defense of their planet… but that is only if you can convince him."

Bre-tac nodded, standing up as well. "Then I shall attempt to be very persuasive," he replied, conviction in his tone. "Of that, you can be certain."

----

**Earth, Tokyo**

Wendy looked over the vast city, her eyes unwavering in their movement. From this viewpoint, the very top of the Tokyo Tower, she could see all of the damage that had been caused by the attack. From here, she could hear all the sound of many sirens screaming. At this point, she was glad that she wasn't tapping the Force.

She didn't think she could handle feeling the deaths of anyone else right now.

Neverland's destruction… had it really been only one day since to happened? Since Sakar destroyed everything they had fought so hard to protect? There had been no rest, no chance to mourn. They had left one battlefield and graveyard and flew right into another one. And there was still no time to grieve.

If she started to grieve, she wouldn't stop. And she needed to be ready for the next battle, because it was going to come. If it wasn't Galaxia, then it would be the Sunak, or the Goa'uld. They had too many enemies, and nowhere near enough resources to fight them all.

She hadn't seen Peter in a while, not since Aluminum Siren had been taken to Hope Island for interrogation. Which was all right. He needed the time to think. It was his home that had been destroyed. If nothing else, he needed to keep busy. When the battle was over, and if they had managed to survive, then he could let it all out.

But that didn't stop her, couldn't stop her, from thinking about it. About the waste of it all. In her opinion, an opinion that she shared with her family, the only thing war was good for was to keep the population down, and nothing else. Eventually, humanity was going to bring itself to near extinction, if not outright.

Of course, that's only if they survived the next few days.

As she floated there in midair, thinking dark thoughts that were, up until recently alien to her, the Force suddenly came to life once again, whispering a warning. Her eyes shifted slightly, staring off at a point only she could see. A split second later, they refocused, widening in real worry.

An extremely powerful being was entering the atmosphere. A being that sang with malice, unmatched evil, and strength enough to destroy the world. It was enough to send a wave of fear through her.

Letting the fear pass out of her, the young lady looked up, taking note of a golden streak of light. Her senses stretched out almost instinctively, trying to figure out just how dangerous it was.

What she saw was surprising.

The evil, the malice she had sensed before were there, dominant and all consuming… but there was something else within her. A spark of good that was completely at odds with the darkness it. Why should such a creature that destroyed entire civilizations have such a spark? _'Unless,'_ she thought, a sliver of realization going through her, _'it isn't her soul… but another entity entirely!'_ Suddenly, things were starting to come into perspective.

Sailor Galaxia hadn't been corrupted, she had been overrun.

Her revelation also brought with it a new sense of urgency, and quite the problem for her. She couldn't kill someone who was a victim herself. That went against everything that she was. The problem was that there was no way for them to do anything else but to kill her. She doubted even Sailor Moon could remove the evil.

Sighing in resignation, Wendy pinpointed Peter's exact location, and flew towards him, to break the bad news. The next battle was coming, and they were needed.

Besides, she had the beginnings of a plan percolating that might help the Golden Senshi be free once again.

----

The Golden streak slammed down almost ten miles from Tokyo, letting out a blinding flash that outshone every light in the city. Energy crackled all around, creating gouges in the ground surrounding it.

Galaxia emerged as the power dissipated, eyes focusing on her target. A smile curled her lips upward, malice coming to the surface. Energy throbbed from her very core, every ounce of power coming to the surface.

She could sense them, the Star Lights, and the Princess within the confines of the city. She could also sense one of the Planetary Senshi, as well as a great many other powerful beings. Her anticipation grew at this bit of information. She was definitely going to enjoy this little sojourn.

Evil grin in full force, she started walking towards Tokyo. No sense in wasting power with instantaneous transport.

Besides, this would allow them to prepare themselves. Victory was more fun when they thought they had a chance.

----

**Stargate Command**

Hammond sighed, leaning back in his seat. The reports just kept coming and coming with no end in sight. Due to the threat cause by the Sunak, and the inevitable Goa'uld assault afterwards, not to mention the enemies that were already on Earth, the SGC had been made the impromptu base of operations for the entire planet. Now he found himself coordinating quite possibly the largest and most ambitious defense plan ever conceived, and had only so much time to get it set up.

Of course, defending the planet was a made slightly simpler by the fleet of ships in orbit, not to mention the technical help of their Tok'ra and Jaffa allies. A Jaffa was even dropped off by Ma-Ti and Laura who had insider knowledge of the Goa'uld's invasion plans. If nothing else, they would ready for whatever the System Lords threw their way.

Unfortunately, the Sunak were still a problem they had to contend with. Zephyer's debriefing had proven informative on their present mind set, but not their fleet strength. He hadn't been privy to that information.

The General sighed, rubbing his eyes fretfully. He really wished SG-1 was here right now. He could use their input on this particular mess.

_"Unauthorized Gate Activation!"_

He was out of his seat in an instant, making his way into the Gate Room. "What do we have, Walter?" he demanded.

"We're receiving SG-1's IDC," Walter replied, placing his hand on the Iris Control Pad. "They say they are under attack by Goa'uld. They're requesting the Medical Bay be prepped for incoming wounded!"

"Open the Iris! Defense Team to the Gate Room! Prepare for hostiles! Medical teams, prepare to receive wounded!" If they needed the Medical Bay prepped for injuries, that meant they were also evacuating that M*A*S*H unit as well. Which meant they had had no time to bug out.

The Defense Team was in place, weapons aimed at the Stargate as the Iris folded into the Gate infrastructure, revealing the shimmering maw of the wormhole. Fingers were tense on the triggers, waiting for the command to fire.

Almost immediately, corpsmen in American uniforms from the 1950's began passing through the Gate, carrying men who had obviously been worked on recently on stretcher. There was apparently quite a few of them, as it seemed to be endless.

Next came the nurses and MP's, followed by the actual doctors, one of them obviously the commander of that unit. But no SG-1… or the young woman they had been sent to check up on.

Suddenly, stave blasts emerged from the event horizon, slamming into the far wall. The soldiers ducked their heads to avoid the blasts, grateful that the Gate was upraised slightly. Otherwise, they would have had a few less soldiers.

Suddenly, when Hammond was about to give the order to close the Iris, SG-1, one last army doctor, and Adria Mal Doran came through the Stargate, rushing down the ramp. "Boys, hostiles incoming!" O'Neill shouted as he, Teal'c and Sam got into formation with them, guns ready. "Open fire!"

Five Jaffa emerged from the Gate, already firing… only to be met by a hail of bullets. As the Iris closed behind them, they were taken out in rapid succession, without any hope of reinforcements.

O'Neill let out a sigh of relief as the Gate finally shut down. Obviously, the Jaffa weren't stupid. The Goa'uld knew about the Iris, and were unwilling to send their troops in. Still, that had been entirely too close for his liking.

Hawkeye looked around, taking in the incredibly large chamber around him, just as Adria stood up, brushing her jacket off. "Nice," was all he said.

Adria grinned, taking a look around. "Needs a coat of paint," she noted. "Something nice and cheery… like pink."

Daniel just looked at her for a second. "I don't think the Air Force would like the Gate Room turned into a Goth's worse nightmare, Adria."

A nonchalant shrug was the only answer he received, which instantly made him suspicious. Despite her apparent maturity, he was forcibly reminded that Adria wasn't even a year old yet. Apparently, she was channeling some of the repressed kid that she had.

Hammond entered the Gate Room as the Defense Team made their way out, eyeing each member of SG-1 for a second. "Is everybody all right?" he asked immediately.

O'Neill nodded. "We were barely able to get everyone out, but we did it," he replied. "We had to leave all of their equipment, but the wounded were evacuated." He gestured towards the only other two people still in the room with them. "General, may I present Captain Benjamin Pierce of the M*A*S*H 4077, and Adria Mal Doran, late of the Ori crusade front."

The General nodded, shaking each other their hands. "We'll debrief in one hour. I want to know how they were able to get close without anyone seeing them." He sighed. "It is a pleasure to meet both of you. I just wish it were under better circumstance."

Hawkeye nodded. "So do we, General." He started for the door. "Right now, I need to get to the Medical Bay. Doctor Fraiser is going to have her hands full, and some of those kids were in pretty bad shape before we were attacked."

"In the meantime," O'Neill stretched his arms out, working the kinks out of his body. "We're going to go grab showers. Nothing beats an actual shower with hot water."

"And I'm going to check on the progress made on the communications relay," Sam added, handing her gun over to one of the corporals. "We've only got a few days before hell breaks loose."

"Good idea." Hammond turned to Teal'c. "And before you ask, there has been no word from Bre-tac or Zephyer since they left."

Despite the stoic nature of the Jaffa, there was no mistaking the disappointment and worry in his eyes as he nodded. They hadn't been expecting any word for quite some time. It didn't make it any easier, though.

And on that somber note, they all left the Gate Room.

----

**Tokyo**

Tanks rumbled. Soldiers marched. Civilians streamed out in herds. Not that Archer saw any of it.

Presently, he, Janeway and Susan were at the command post that had been set up in the heart of Tokyo, discussing a plan of attack with the General and James concerning a sufficient defense against Galaxia. So far, their plan had quite a few holes in it.

The Potters were an obvious choice for the first line. Their power easily surpassed the Golden Senshi, even with the fact that she was a Trainee to boot. Of course, they would be backed by both mortals and gods. MACOS and UN troops were already setting up a defense perimeter at the edge of the city, for all the good they would do. The sentinels were patrolling the skies, watching for any sign of the Golden Senshi. Their objective was to capture and contain Galaxia if possible.

The second line of defense would encompass Planet, Gaia, Wendy, Neptune, Peter and the three Starlights, as well as Japan's own marine force, a security team from _Voyager_, and another squadron of sentinels. If the first line was to contain, the second line was to seriously hurt her without killing her.

The final line, the safety bunker where Princess Kakyuu had been stashed, contained Sailor Moon, Aluminum Siren, Urd, Belldandy, and the rest of Athena's network. If Galaxia managed to break through all of the way, they were charged with,

A; Getting Kakyuu out of there.

B; Stopping Galaxia by whatever means necessary.

Now all that remained was to see whether or not those three lines would be effective.

Susan set her radio down, relaxing slightly. "First line is in position," she said. "Helicopters are preparing to give air cover in case of retreat, and the Potters have set up a mystical barrier of some kind."  
Archer nodded in acceptance, looking at the map before him. "If worse comes to worse, we can still evacuate Kakyuu out through the emergency hatch in the bunker," he said. "But we're going to be cutting it close. Our transporters won't be able to get a lock on her until she's about ten feet from the surface, away from the majority of the heavy metals."

"_Voyager's_ can," Janeway stated. "They're significantly more powerful, and considerably more sophisticated. They might be able to…"

"You'll need to redo your math." Susan interrupted, staring at her. "The mystical emanations surrounding the Princess are more than enough to disrupt any form of scanning equipment. I doubt your sensors are immune to that."

As Janeway made to check that, Archer moved in closer. "What about you?" he asked. "You're obviously very powerful, but that power isn't exactly offensive."

She nodded, before stroking her bow affectionately. "My power doesn't have to be," she replied. "Each arrow is coated with a material that allows them to penetrate any mystical defense, no matter how powerful. I can also transfer some of my magic into my arrows to increase their strength. If nothing else, they'll prove to be distracting." She smirked. "There's also the little fact that I can't be killed by any weapon or power in this universe."

"Lucky you." His gaze shifted to the General. "Are your troops in position?"

The General nodded. "All units are standing by."

He nodded. "Then the only thing left to do… is wait."

Janeway rejoined a few seconds later, shaking her head. "You were right," she said. "We can't get a transporter lock on her. We'll have to wait until she's closer to the surface."

Susan nodded, sighing. "Why couldn't I be wrong for once?"

----

Sailor Moon was presently sitting near the Princess of Kinmoku, trying not to fidget with impatience. Although the plan Captain Archer had developed was sound, and her deployment as a last line of defense was the best use for her abilities, she was still chafing. She had saved the Golden Senshi once before, and she was so much more powerful now. Why couldn't they put her on the first line with the two Guardians?

She already knew the answer, of course. They wanted to weaken her first. They were hoping that the two Guardians and the Starlights would be enough to contain her, but they weren't putting all of their eggs into one basket. If one line failed, then the other two would have to be ready to pick up the slack. And every fight Galaxia had to be involved in would inevitably weaken her. They had to make sure that they could stop her, before she killed them all. She knew that.

She just didn't have to like it.

Belldandy took note of the Moon Princess's rather tense form, but didn't know how to help her. She was someone quite literally out of her time, and forced into the middle of something she hadn't expected to find. Not only that, she knew how to free Galaxia, and here they were, hoping to kill her.

Siren looked up, observing Kakyuu for a moment, before sighing. "Princess?" she asked quietly.

Kakyuu looked at her for a moment, a gentle smile gracing her face. "Yes, Aluminum Siren?" she asked.

"Actually, it's just Siren, now." She took a moment to collect herself. "I just want to say that I'm sorry… for what happened to your planet. I…"

"You have no reason to feel remorse for actions beyond your own control," the Princess interrupted. "Chaos has been known to trick stronger willed warriors than you into joining its cause. The only sin you are guilty of is letting it rule you." She laid a comforting hand on the Senshi's shoulder. "You need to forgive yourself, if you wish to do the right thing. Only then can you find your own redemption… and truly help stop Armageddon."

Siren stared at her for a moment, before nodding, showing that she understood. She turned her attention back to the reinforced steel doors, doors she knew wouldn't hold if Galaxia managed to get past the first two lines. She had a lot to think about, and even more to worry about.

Foremost on her thoughts was Lead Crow. Would she try to come and get her? Or would she remain with Galaxia until she died in battle? What would happen to her when Chaos finally had all of the Senshi Star Seeds?

Would they ever be together again?

The mighty soldier knew that thinking about the future at this critical moment would be nothing more than a death sentence, so she banished the thoughts from her mind. Emotion and thoughts of the future were distractions that impeded people from the true focus of war.

The point of war was to win.

----

**Deep Space**

It never ceased to amaze Karken.

When he had first come to the capital ship, back when he had been just a fledgling, he had been in awe at the extremely massive design, as well as the incredibly intricate inner design of the oldest parts. He had often wondered what it would have looked like without all of the additions, though he had seen pictures of it. He had also been amazed by how long it, and the other four major colony ships, had lasted.

Even now, thirty five years into his career, and commander of one of the five oldest vessels of the fleet, the capital could hold him in awe, even when he was there for the most urgent of business.

And as he walked along the corridors, Zephyer and Bre-tac following close behind, he knew that he wasn't the only one. Neither one had said a word since they had come here. Then again, Bre-tac was not someone who spoke unless he actually had something to say. Useless banter was not part of the Jaffa training. It apparently wasn't in Zephyer's training either. Not once had he ever participated in small talk.

Karken made a mental note to have a word with him after this was all over.

They arrived in front of the Praetor's office, undergoing the security inspection. The security guard was thrown by the sight of the legendary Jaffa warrior before him, but that lasted only a moment. He merely requested any weapons on Bre-tac's person be handed over, before ushering them in. Obviously, Shar-Ti was waiting for them, and had been for some time.

Unlike his private offices, which were extremely opulent and held at least seven of his harem within, the public office of the Praetor was more utilitarian, designed to remind the people of their past. It was also larger than the private one, considering the fact that it used to be the bridge of the ship. The only place larger was the engineering section, which had been transformed into the Senate Hall.

Karken and Zephyer stood at parade rest, the former bracing himself as he usually did. Even after all of this time, it was still something of a surprise every time he was in the presence of the supreme leader of the Confederation.

Bre-tac took note of the Commander's muscles tensing, and was somewhat confused by it. Why would someone who commanded one of the oldest ships in the fleet, who had the ears of the Praetor, be preparing himself to face him? When he was First Prime of Apophis, he had never shown such worry for simply facing the being.

But then, as the chair holding the man swung around, He understood immediately.

The leader of the entire Sunak Confederation was a human, a member of the very species they sought to destroy.

The Praetor observed them for a second, before standing up, bowing in a show of respect. "Master Bre-tac," he said in Goa'uld, "former First Prime to Apophis, the Snake God. Welcome to Hartras. I am Shar-Ti, Praetor of the Sunak Confederation."

Bre-tac returned the bow, though he stuck with English. "Praetor," he returned in greeting. "I come with greetings from the Tauri… and their spirits of Life and Destruction."

The Praetor stared at him for a moment, coming to a decision, before nodding, gesturing for them all to sit. Bre-tac and Zephyer did so, while the Commander moved to stand beside Shar-Ti. "Considering the fact that they released Lieutenant Zephyer here makes me a little more inclined to listen to whatever pleas they have."

"They do not plead, Sir. In fact, I have come because I have information concerning the Death Dealer that may be of use to you."

"The spirits of their world have been fighting the Death Dealer for nearly a thousand years," Zephyer began. "It appears that their holding action has been most successful. In fact, it has enabled humans who have the power to truly challenge him to arise."

Shar-Ti and Karken traded a look of surprise at this, before looking at them again. "You are joking," Karken stated in disbelief. "Humans are unable to process the power needed to battle Sakar. No species can."

"These two can." Bre-tac shifted slightly. The chair was a little stiffer than he was used to, and he wasn't a young man. "They have the potential to become Guardians."

Now the disbelief turned to shock. They hadn't been expecting that. Of course, none of them knew how a Guardian was chosen, or even what they were. Only that they were very powerful.

Now they knew that they were also human.

Karken kept himself from collapsing, but only with great difficulty. He had sworn that Captain Archer would die the next time they met in battle. Now it seemed that his oath was rather foolhardy.

Shar-Ti, on the other hand, was almost immobile as he processed everything he had learned today. It seemed that the world of which was his birthright was full of surprises. If what Bre-tac said was true, then destroying Earth would do nothing more than focus the Guardian's attention onto the Confederation. And a group of extremely powerful immortal beings were not an enemy one wanted.

Zephyer and Bre-tac remained silent, letting him come to his own conclusions. But they both knew they couldn't wait forever. There were only three days left until the invasion went underway. If they couldn't convince them not cancel it, then nothing would really mattered anymore.

Finally, the Praetor returned his attention to them, observing them shrewdly. "This decision cannot be made lightly," he said slowly, tasting each word in his mouth as he did so. "You will have to speak to Fleet Admiral Dardos. He is the one who assembled the fleet, and set up the strategy of attack. You will also have to speak to the Senate. They are in Emergency Session right now, concerning this very matter. You may be able to convince them that attacking the Earth would not be in their best interests."

Bre-tac nodded. "We shall try then."

"Where is the Admiral?" Zephyer asked.

Karken frowned, thinking hard. "I have no idea," he finally replied. "No one has heard from him since the plan was finalized and preparations made. Perhaps he is onboard the _Scimitar._"

The Lieutenant nodded to himself. Of course there was a very good chance that he was onboard his personal warship, the most advanced ship in the fleet. From there, he had an almost omnipotent view of the entire fleet. Every commander, including Karken, was answerable to him. He decided whether or not someone was promoted, or was removed from the fleet. Only the Praetor had more authority and power than him.

The _Scimitar_ remained at the capital city for the most part, so the Admiral could access the subspace communication grid that linked the entire Confederation together. It made giving orders to the various vessels out there commands.

It also made finding him all that much easier.

----

"Are you sure this is wise?" Karken asked Shar-Ti, after the guards had escorted Zephyer and Bre-tac from the office. "We have seen such gestures of friendships from other species. Most of them had been ruses set up by the Death Dealer to have us lower our guard."

Shar-Ti nodded, frowning thoughtfully. "For some reason, I believe this is genuine," he replied. "Bre-tac is not someone who makes an offer of friendship unless it is real. And Zephyer is not known to endorse anything unless there was truth behind it. The world of my birth is obviously in dire need of help, and we are on the verge of destroying it, just because it has two all powerful spirits." His gaze lowered. "If there are two people there with the power to become Guardians, then we have to give them that chance."

"It is not just that." The Commander sank down in one of the chairs, rubbing his eyes. "The Admiral is going to want to meet one of the humans, like Captain Archer. And I have sworn to destroy the man."

The Praetor smiled humorlessly. "Then you shall have to break that vow."

----

**Earth, Tokyo**

"Here she comes!"

That one single warning, spoken with considerable fear and determination, was more than enough send a surge of adrenaline through both Guardians bodies. Despite all of their preparation, despite everything that had happened to them personally, the thought of facing the possessed daughter of a legendary warrior was enough to worry them. She would already know that Guardians were waiting for her. What was more, they knew what she was capable of. Chaos's power would be mixed up with her joint Senshi/ Trainee abilities, enabling Galaxia to hurt them. Which meant they had to hurt her first, and quickly.

Of course, that was only if the woman would approach them at a speed much faster than walking. She obviously thought that it would be a walk in the park. They had to dissuade her on that thinking.

The Golden Senshi stopped just short of the barrier the Potters had erected, cocking her head curiously. Then, as they all watched, she merely brought her fist back, and smashed the barrier as if it was a piece of paper.

Potter tightened her grip on her staff, bringing it up. "Open fire!" she shouted.

The MACO's and UN soldiers quickly did so. Bullets and plasma blasts flew through the air, slamming into Galaxia's armored hide. Lightning strikes from the sentinels rained down from the sky.

Galaxia smirked as the barrage hit her, amused by their pitiful defiance. She started moving faster, until she was finally at a run, charging at them with the singular purpose of destroying them in one shot.

The Potter's attacked as one, meeting her half way with a powerful blast that halted her in her tracks, throwing her back twenty feet. They went right at her, weapons raised.

Galaxia's sword emerged out of nowhere, hilt as black as sin, swinging upward to deflect the _bat'leth_ strike from James. Smirking a bit at the look of surprise on the Guardian's face, she kicked him in the gut, sending him skyward. Leaping to her feet, she whirled, giving a tremendous roundhouse kick to his wife. She flew back, slamming into the defense line with considerable force. The Golden Senshi leapt to her feet, sword raised in front of her in a defensive posture.

James had already righted himself, and charged forward, weapon curving forward in a vicious slice. As bullets showered both combatants, Galaxia blocked, before retaliating. The Guardian was able to stand his ground this time, though still surprised by the sheer amount of power she was utilizing. Obviously, Chaos had been busy learning every nuance it could about the dual nature of Galia Hall, and using it to its advantage.

His wife got back up, took note of the battle raging before her, and charged back into the fray. An energy sword took form in her hand, and she swung it downward as she entered the fray once again.

Galaxia sensed her approach, and quickly forced James away, deflecting the downward swoop with some degree of difficulty. As much as she wanted to kill the two Guardians, her powers still had limits. She needed to end this quickly. Fortunately, she knew how to.

Potter quickly pressed her advantage, blade and staff whipping out like vipers. All she had to do was tire the possessed Trainee/ Senshi out, before locking a set of energy cuffs onto her. It was that simple. Too simple, in fact.

Unfortunately, despite the eons of knowledge running through her and James's heads, all the tactical stratagem and intelligence of thousands upon thousands of Potters that were at their beck and call, they were still inexperienced as Guardians. Galaxia, despite not being a Guardian, despite not even being in control, had five thousand years of combat experience under her belt. One doesn't reach even a hundred years without picking up a few tricks when dealing with superior foes.

So, letting the two warriors believe that they had the upper hand, she prepared her trap.

James noted how the Golden Senshi was retreating, taking leaps back, seemingly putting all of her power into defending herself, and knew that they were on the verge of defeating her. Silently signaling his wife through their bond, he suddenly disengaged, pulling away so his wife could strike the final blow.

Suddenly, Galaxia surged forward, forcing him to block her furious counter offensive while she kicked the Guardian in the crotch. It was a low blow, but highly effective. As he suddenly doubled over, blinded by the intense pain, she bodily picked him up, throwing him into his wife. Energy collected at the tips of her fingers, reaching their peak. "_Galaxy_ _Guardian Strike!_" she bellowed.

The attack, which was a combination of Senshi and Trainee magic, was rumored to have the strength to hurt even Gods. Galia Hall was the only person to ever successfully merge the two powers, which was supposed to be impossible in on itself. That alone was enough to ensure the Trainee's position in history.

The impossible blending of energy seemed to have survived Chaos's infestation, as it slammed into the two Guardians with the force of a nuclear blast.

----

Wendy staggered back as a powerful energy wave surged through the Force, nearly blinding her with its intensity. It was an intensity that rivaled the sudden skyward blast of energy in the distance. "Bloody Hell," she whispered, blinking furiously. "I think the Potters failed to stop her."

Peter looked at her. "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"You mean, besides the light show? Because I can sense it. They're stunned, in pain. I can also feel the others in the first line. They're dazed, like they had just witnessed some sort of small scale trauma." She shook her head. "I can't sense the sentinels."

Fighter blinked, surprised by this report. "But how?" she asked. "How did she beat two Guardians?"

"Obviously, with the one two things she has abundance of," Maker replied. "Her experience, and her unique blending of magic."

Peter nodded in understanding and sorrow. "Well, we knew that some of us weren't going to make it. It's a part of war." His attention shifted. "And our part is fast approaching. Everyone get ready!"

Wendy's sky blue blade shot out as the silhouette of a rather tall woman approached, breathing in to try and center herself. This battle was definitely going to make everything that came before look like practice.

It made her wonder what the battle with Sakar was going to be like when he returned.

----

**Stargate Command**

The Infirmary was in a form of controlled chaos.

Doctor Fraiser was barking orders to her staff, having them get the most critically wounded into the Operating Room. Colonel Potter and Hawkeye were making sure that the procession of wounded went smoothly. The other doctors and nurses were busy checking the wounded that came through the Gate, making sure that they hadn't aggravated their wounds.

Adria watched this as they made their way through slowly, knowing that she had made the right choice in coming to them for help. And that she had made the right choice in helping them.

Of course, this wasn't the SGC that she had heard about. This was one from an earlier time and, unless she was mistaken, had been activated a great earlier than its counterpart. Still, Stargate Command was Stargate Command, no matter how you slice it. They could help her get her mother and her friends back.

And she could help them stop this new threat they were facing.

BJ walked up to her, watching her as she watched the controlled pandemonium within the Infirmary. He grinned a little at the rather intense look of concentration on her face. "You look like you've been thinking," he said in greeting. "One year olds aren't supposed to think about anything except breakfast, lunch, dinner, and getting the attention of their parents. They also have to have their diapers changed periodically."

"Most one year olds aren't the child of an Ori," Adria replied, smirking as she turned around. "They also don't have to worry about whether or not fire is going to shoot out of their eyes."

"Good point."

Her gaze shifted back to the Infirmary. "How's everyone doing?" she asked.

He rubbed his face, the weariness that came from seeing so much death coming over him. "We got lucky. Your throwing that shield up around the complex kept the majority of the blasts away. If it hadn't been for you… we would have lost a lot of people."

"You have Doctor Fraiser to thank for that, too. Apparently, Trainee and Ori powers can complement each other."

"I'll remember to thank her, then." His gaze shifted towards the woman in question, watching her effortlessly issue orders to the people around her. "Why aren't you helping? I figured that someone with healing powers could take care of the most seriously injured."

"I did, at first. Unfortunately, my powers have limits, and I was really reaching deep. She finally told me to stop and get some rest. Hence, here I am, watching."

Now that, he could understand. "Well, as much as I would love to stand here and watch with you, I need to get back to work." Putting his mask back on, he entered the room in question, moving towards a patient.

The Orici pushed herself off the edge of the door, making her way down the hallway. If nothing else, she could get something to eat. She hadn't eaten since the attack, and she was starving.

She took two steps… and suddenly felt something shoot across her mind. Something powerful… something different. Something that she had never felt before in her life.

And they were on Earth right now, fighting half a planet away.

----

Potter slowly managed to climb to her feet, feeling like she had just been sucker punched by an Olympian God. She had had no idea that Galaxia's ultimate attack could hurt so much, but the fact she had two different sources of magic at her disposal should have been a dead giveaway.

James also got to his feet, pushing a dead sentinel off of him. "Man, I should have listened to the tactical briefing on her a little more closely," he said, groaning in agony. There were definite signs of damage to his body. His armor was cracked and smoking on his left side, and the unmistakable smell of something burning was in the air. It was most likely coming from the nearly blackened left hand he now had.

Lily was sure that she didn't look much better. The whole left side of her face felt like it had roasted over an open fire. Tentatively touching it, she recoiled almost immediately at the overwhelming pain. She was healing, but very slowly. "Bloody Hell," she gasped, almost falling down. Hearing about it and experiencing it were two entirely different things. Obviously, Chaos had spent quite a bit of time learning everything she could of her new host.

A resounding explosion caught her attention. Whirling around, wincing at the sensation of burnt flesh moving, she caught sight of golden energy lashing out into the sky. "Looks like Galaxia had collided with the second line of defense."

"Well, we're no good to them until we regain at least our full mobility." James cradled his burnt hand to his chest. Already, the black was slowly giving way to new formed flesh and skin. "I don't know about you, but I really don't want to face off against her with only one good hand."

On that, she had no argument for him. Instead, she took a look around the battlefield, noting the number of soldiers struggling to get to their feet, and was overwhelmed with sadness. They had gotten lucky. Only two MACOS weren't getting up, but they were still breathing, at the very least.

Whether or not the second line would fare just as well was up for debate.

----

Galaxia apparently decided not to take her time for this line. She was already charging full tilt at them, which was comparable to the speed of a cheetah. She covered half of the distance between them when the first burst of phaser fire hit her.

Peter and Wendy were already flying forward to meet her, blocking her first attack with relative difficulty. They quickly pushed back, before shooting off in two separate directions.

"_Sailor Star Uterus!"_

"_Sailor Star Inferno!"_

"_Sailor Star Laser!"_

"_Neptune Deep Submerge!"_

The four Senshi attacks, coupled with the attack force of Athena and her fellow Gods and Goddesses, slammed into Galaxia hard and fast. She staggered back a few feet, somewhat surprised by the ferocity of the assault. Plus, the light from the God's attacks were blinding. No matter how advanced the eyelid, sudden bright illumination could still overwhelm it.

But she didn't need her eyes to see her opponents. She could feel the air molecules shifting as they threw their hands forward, as the Jedi fledgling and her beloved friend swooped down again. She felt that all, and created a perfect picture as to what her next move would be.

Wendy was within a few feet of Galaxia, ready to engage her once again, when the Force literally screamed a warning at her. She was too close to dodge, and blocking wouldn't be possible. She quickly altered her trajectory, angling her blade as much as she dared.

Her own human instincts served her well, but only to a point. Galaxia's sword, which had been thrust forward, was deflected enough not to kill her. Unfortunately, Galaxia smashed her across the back of her head with her boot, sending her head first into the nearest wall. She slumped to the ground, dazed.

The three Starlights charged in as one, slamming into her from all three sides. Neptune tried to sneak up from behind, hoping to at least distract her while the heavy weights weakened her. She could already see Peter checking on Wendy, who was already shaking off the effects of a collision with a wall, and knew she would be all right.

Now if only she could say the same for the rest of them when this was over.

----

**Upper atmosphere**

A distortion began forming at a spot almost directly above the skies of Tokyo. Exotic particles that didn't exist in space were making themselves present to every ship in orbit, indicating that some sort of doorway was on the verge of opening. Considering what they had seen, and how two of those ships arrived in orbit of Earth, that wasn't surprising.

What _was_ surprising was that it was a very small distortion, probably large enough for a single humanoid lifeform. But if that was the case, why was it forming in an area where there was no air to speak of?

The answer wouldn't become clear to them immediately, but it did come through in near spectacular fashion.

Shayera Hall exited the portal she had created between Zion and Realm 2, shooting straight down towards Earth. She had to get into the battle as quickly as possible... if there was still a battle going on, that is.

----

Star Fighter hit the ground, trying to shake off the effects of the powerful right hook she had just been subjected to. She saw Maker lying in a crumpled heap near some debris, caused by her being thrown into it by Galaxia.

Healer was presently getting her head beaten in, as the Golden Senshi launched a seemingly endless barrage of punches at her. Neptune was busy trying to struggle to her feet, having been dazed by a casual backhand. None of them were going to be in a position to do anything.

Peter and Wendy, on the other hand, were able to do something about that. Though Peter didn't possess superhuman powers like the Senshi, and Wendy was still a novice in the ways of the Force, they did have two things going for them.

They could fly… and they had the element of surprise.

Both were used to perfect effect in this instance, as they rocketed from out of nowhere, catching Galaxia in her blind spot. The Senshi was forced to drop her prisoner as she struggled to remain on her feet from an impact that was akin to a rampaging rhino. She had lost her grip on her sword a while ago during the Senshi gang up, and hadn't had time to retrieve it.

The two mortals continued their offensive, blades reappearing and slashing at the Golden Senshi. Said Senshi was forced to use her golden bracelets to block the sword, and had no alternative but to dodge the sky blue energy blade. Apparently, Chaos hadn't given the people living on Earth enough credit.

Energy began collecting once again in her hand. However, in this instance there wasn't a hint of Trainee energy in it. This was purely Senshi energy.

This was an attack that Galia had perfect during her all too brief tenure at the Academy. Powerful in its own right, but not a power one would use against Gods.

"_Galaxia Inflation!"_

From Galaxia's hand emerged a super dense energy string, a string that was only half as dense as the degenerate matter found in a Neutron Star. It was still dense enough to cause incredible destruction to whatever it hit. Only a Senshi transformed stood a chance at surviving such an attack.

Wendy immediately got in front of Peter, swinging her lightsaber down on the approaching string. At the same time, she used the Force for two entirely different objectives at once.

The first was to create a force field around herself. She had no idea if it was going to work, but to not do anything would be a death sentence for sure. And if there was one thing she wanted to do, it was live.

The second thing she did was use it to push everyone within range as far from them as possible. The soldiers would get the hint and regroup near the final defense point before the bunker. If that string reacted the way she thought it would react, then there was about to be a rather large hole in the middle of the street.

As it turned out, she was right. The moment her blade started slicing through the string, it literally detonated in spectacular fashion.

----

Archer's eyes widened as the street trembled underneath him. Looking up, he saw a gout of flame shooting up into the sky. That alone was enough to tell him that the second line had failed to hold her back.

Janeway, who had witnessed the Borg plow through an entire defense line, and who had seen species with technology that made their own seem insignificant, was stunned. "What…?" was all she was able to get out.

"They failed," Susan replied, starting forward. "Sailor Moon, Sailor Aluminum Siren, Belldandy. You all need to get into position. She has broken through the secondary line." She paused for a second. "Captains, General, I suggest you all get out of here as quickly as possible. Athena, you and your network get the Princess into Yggdrasil as quickly as you possibly can. I doubt we will be able to hold the line for long."

"_Understood,"_ Athena replied.

Archer and Janeway looked at each other, nodding as one in agreement, and started forward. They were going to help delay Galaxia.

The Queen stopped them both. "Listen, you two. If Galaxia manages to take you down, the when the invasion comes, we will be short two very experienced starship captains. The best thing you can do is return to your ships, and wait."

"For some reason, I don't think we're going to get that chance," Janeway replied, looking in the distance. "Because we have incoming!"

There, charging down the street liking a bull, was the Golden Senshi herself, still looking as pristine as ever. Her sword was back in hand, ready to be used.

Strangely, Susan was no longer so adamant that they leave.

* * *

And here it is. Chapter Thirty Six for your inspection. Please let me know what you think of it.

As promised, the next chapter will hold the battle between Galaxia and Shayera, so please stay tuned.


	37. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty Seven**

Fraiser finally stepped outside the Infirmary, pulling her mask off. She needed the rest. Thankfully, the only injuries that needed to be checked were from the 4077's own Post Op. Other than that, the only injuries were from little pieces of rock hitting them as they retreated.

She had no idea if the Jaffa even knew about Pierce, and she had no idea how they even knew about Adria. Of course, that didn't change the fact that they did know about her, and would do everything they could to get her. So how did they know to look for her on an Earth in the 1950's?

Sliding down the wall, the doctor let her eyes close for a minute. Maybe, by some stroke of luck, when she opened them again, she would find out that it was all a dream. That Earth wasn't threatened with total annihilation in only two days. That they didn't have refugees from two alternate Earth's surrounding the SGC.

But it was all true. And the worse thing about it was that it was nowhere near as bad as it was going to get later. War would make sure of that.

She was still sitting on the floor when Hammond joined her. ""Everyone's going to live, General," she said immediately. "We had a few Jaffa stave weapon injuries, but they were only glancing blows, thankfully."

Hammond nodded, grateful to hear that. They were very fortunate this time. Very fortunate. "Well, I'm sorry to say that we have other problems," he replied. "I just got a call from the Pentagon. Sailor Galaxia, whoever the hell that is, is in Tokyo. They're fighting her, but without success."

She nodded. "I wish I could help, but I've pushed my powers to their limit just keeping the Goa'uld from killing everybody. I'm in no shape to play hero. Adria's been pushed to the limit as well. And Colonel O'Neill and the rest of them wouldn't make any difference whatsoever." She rose wearily, rubbing her eyes. "Anything else about it?"

"The fleet detected a powerful energy surge entering the upper atmosphere. They think it's another Guardian… with a similar energy pattern to Galaxia."

Within that one moment, all exhaustion fled from her. Instead, it was replaced by shock and disbelief. The only way energy signatures could be similar was if the two people were related. And, since her family had been made aware of Galia Hall, they knew just about everything there was to know about them. The last time she recalled, Galia had no siblings, and her father had been killed before she was born. Which left only one possible connection.

"It can't be," she whispered. There was no in hell that she could be back!

* * *

Shayera flew downward, the fiery heat of her entry not even slowing her down. Her senses stretched out, searching for the entity that had haunted her for the longest time. She finally had a chance to free her daughter, and she wasn't going to waste it.

As she neared Tokyo, her eyes widened, taking in the sight of the destruction before her. It was as if two battles had taken place here. In short, they had. The Animamates had done their worst to the population, while the battle against Chaos continued to rage on.

Then, as she flew over a particularly large debris field, the result of two exceedingly powerful forces detonating as one, her eyes took on the shape of saucers. Someone was still alive down there! She flew in closer.

And her eyes neared bugged out of their sockets.

There, protected by a Force shield the likes of which Yoda or her own mother could never hope to create, was Wendy Darling, struggling to stand up. Apparently, her little chat with the possessed Senshi had not gone very well.

Wendy, for her part, was still dazed, trying to recover her faculties and struggling to stand. Her shield had held, and she could feel that the people she had pushed away were relatively unharmed, though most of them were unconscious. But it had been close. Too close. And she was exhausted. Using the Force that much had taken its toll on her, and she was still a long way from utilizing it properly. Add in the fact that there was two tons of debris on top of her, and you had the makings of a rather annoying day for her. Speaking of which, she really needed to get this dead weight off of her right now, before she became a pancake.

As if to answer her prayers, the debris was suddenly lifted off of her like it was nothing. Gasping in relief, she relaxed her grip, allowing the field to dissipate. Then she looked up. "Shayera?"

Shayera smiled, tossing her load away like it was a piece of driftwood. "I was in the neighborhood when I saw this acquaintance of mine in trouble," she explained. "I take it that Galia's been through here?"

"Like a bloody bull. She practically tore her way through two lines of defense and unless I am mistaken, she's aiming to bulldoze through a third. Apparently, she has your stubborn streak." The young girl shook her head as she sat up, taking several deep breath's. "Unfortunately, I'm not going anywhere until I rest a bit."

"Understood. Stay here, and join the battle as soon as possible."

"Where are you going?"

The Spartan looked into the distance, a hard glint appearing in her gaze. She had given her ideas careful consideration. "I'm going to have a little chat with Chaos," she replied. "One that involves tearing her essence from my daughter's body."

Wendy smiled. "Well, give me some time to meditate, and I think I can help you do just that."

* * *

Everyone quickly realized one thing, though it wasn't really an eye opener; that when Galaxia set her mind on something, or someone, she wasn't going to let anyone stand in her way.

The third line of defense had practically been decimated within the first few moments. Bodies, mostly human, were strewn about, most of them moaning in pain. A few were silent… deathly silent.

The Gods were not in much better straits. Even Belldandy, easily the strongest of them there, was barely holding her own against the Senshi/ Trainee Hybrid.

Archer was picking himself up slowly, wincing at the feeling of bruised ribs. He had been one of the lucky ones, being hit by one of the flying soldiers as opposed to the Golden Senshi's fist. Ignoring the pain, and forcibly inuring himself to the sight of the devastation, he began to assess the situation.

The mortals had all been removed from the equation, as they had all expected. Belldandy and her fellow mystically inclined warriors were presently doing battle with Galaxia, with the results not in their favor.

Urd lashed out with a powerful lightning strike, which Galaxia merely deflected with a backhand. She retaliated with an energy blast of her own. The Goddess barely got out of the way, while Susan took the full blast in the chest. She slammed into the Parliament building, almost unconscious. Fortunately for her, she was an immortal, so the attack didn't kill her. Unfortunately, it also meant that she would have to endure a whole lot of pain as her flesh re-knit itself. In Urd's case, the avoidance of her fate was only temporary, as Galaxia had followed up immediately with another blast. The Goddess of the Past was quickly taken out of the equation, while her sister managed to land a kick on their enemy.

Janeway made her way over to him, watching the battle progress. "Now I know why she said we needed to go!" she shouted. "We're not doing anything but getting in the way!"

"We didn't exactly have the chance to even think about debating it!" Archer replied, coughing for a second. "We need to get our ships into position, bombard this area from orbit!"

"I doubt it would do any good! She can survive in space. An orbital strike probably would only piss her off!" They also both realized that, at the speed in which she was decimating her present opponents, Kakyuu would only be halfway out of the building by the time Galaxia blasted through the doors. None of the ships in orbit would be in position in time to make a difference.

Galaxia slowly pulled the arrow out of her shoulder, looking at it quizzically. When it and the last two that had been shot at her had penetrated her body, she had felt the energy within it. It was a power that she had never felt before in her life, though considering who it was who had managed to hit her, she could take a guess as to its origin. Then there was the accuracy of the blows. If nothing else, she was experienced, if not powerful enough to really challenge her. _'Strange, these humans,'_ she thought.

"_It's only going to get worse,"_ Galia taunted. _"Just you wait. I mean, didn't you notice the fact that she's still alive? Did you even realize that you're challenging one of the Queens of Narnia? The one Aslan calls daughter?"_

She had in fact made that connection, but decided that it didn't matter. The Gentle Queen was out of the fight regardless. Satisfied with the result, she turned around… and felt the blood drain from her face.

There, standing about twenty feet away with Princess Kakyuu and Aluminum Siren standing behind her, was Sailor Moon herself. There was strength of resolve about her, as if she was actually willing to fight her… and fight to win. Even more important was the sheer level of power that was emanating from her. This was the power she had sensed on her way to Earth, that her remaining Animamates had told her about. She was going to have to be careful with this one.

Sailor Moon looked at the Golden Senshi, sensing Galaxia's power, Chaos's malice. She could feel the cries for help from the star seeds trapped within, as well as the struggling soul of Galia Hall herself, fighting to overthrow the dark force she was forced to take in. It was something she was familiar with, as it had happened to her before.

Her grip on her wand tightened as the Silver Crystal began to pulse. She also felt something else, something she hadn't felt the first time. There was a second layer surrounding the Light of Hope, a darker, more powerful energy that seemed to infuse Chaos's entire being. It held the star seed in an iron grip, preventing it from interfering. That was the target. If she could overcome that, then they stood a chance of dissipating the entity for all time.

Galaxia's eyes darkened, her sword crackling with barely contained power. Sailor Moon's entire body began flickering with pink energy. Both seemed to know that this battle would be the one to determine the continued survival of the human race, or its total annihilation.

And so, Chaos decided to cheat.

A crackled of dark energy emerged from her free hand, wrapping around the hulk of what had once been an army tank. Choosing her target carefully, she let it fly. Then, when the Moon Princess's attention was shifted, she let loose a powerful blast of energy.

Sailor Moon had been ready for a contest of wills and power when Galaxia suddenly tossed the tank in her direction. To her horror, she saw it heading not towards her, but towards Captain's Archer and Janeway. She quickly turned around to warn them.

And then she felt the world explode around her, as Galaxia caught her in her blind spot. She found herself flying, quite involuntarily mind you, for a rendezvous with the Parliament building, slamming into a point more than thirty feet above Susan's head. Fortunately, she was powerful enough to weather the blast. By morning, if she survived the battle, all she would have would be sore muscles.

Unfortunately, that also meant that nothing was going to stop that tank from hitting its attended targets. And even if they managed to avoid it, Galaxia would simply vaporize them with a well placed shot.

Fortunately, another player had finally arrived to even out the odds. And just in the nick of time.

Before anyone could even think of moving, a blur of orange red hair shot into the fray, stopping the army vehicle like it was nothing. She brought it down to the ground, ensuring that there was no one in it.

Archer observed their savior. She was about an inch or so taller than Janeway, with that mop of orange red hair falling half down her back. She was wearing white black body armor, and a blood red cape that looked like it had been made in ancient times. Finally, a set of white wings had spread out from her back, flexing every now and then. A broadsword was strapped to her waist. _'Another Guardian,'_ he thought, relieved. Though he had to wonder what this one was going to do that the two others couldn't.

Galaxia, it seemed, thought she could do plenty, if the sudden shock and hatred in her eyes was of any indication. She had immediately recognized Galia's mother, after all. "You!" she snarled, charging forward.

The Spartan merely brought her hand up, palm flat as she directed it at the rampaging Senshi. A blast of cold wind and ice erupted from it, slamming into her at near hurricane velocity. It definitely slowed her down, but it didn't stop her. In fact, it made her even angrier. She continued advancing.

The Guardian wasn't fazed in the slightest by this resistance. She merely decreased the temperature of the air being blasted at her nemesis, watching as ice began to form on the possessed Senshi. She also increased the power of the wind, slowing Galaxia's approach even more.

Galaxia's broadsword rose, poised and ready to come down… and stayed there, as her arms literally froze in place. The ice finally enveloped her entire body, her gaze so full of hate, it made even the stoutest of hearts shiver.

Knowing that it wouldn't hold for long, Shayera took the time to bring her own blade out, her wings disappearing back into her form. She altered her stance, spreading her limbs out so as to strengthen her balance. She stood ready.

The block of ice encasing Galaxia began to crack, as she expected it to. That one crack spread across her entire form, until it inevitably shattered. The sword struck down, ready to slice through the Guardian before her.

Shayera parried the blow, grunting behind the fury of the attack. The ground beneath her buckled, but her defense held true. With a grunt of effort, she shoved back, angling her blade enough so it would force the other weapon away from her. At the same time, she sent an electrical surge through the two blades, just enough to shock the Golden Senshi's hand into opening.

Galaxia leaped back about six feet, shaking the offending digit as she glared at the Spartan. Of all of the people she thought would appear to help the humans, her host's mother was not it. The last she recalled, the woman had been convalescing in a stasis pod for the last thirty years due to severe respiratory injuries. How the hell did she show up here, perfectly healed?

Shayera inclined her head, her own weapon disappearing back into the ether. "Chaos," she said amicably, as if she were meeting an old friend on the street. "I see you have been busy with my daughter's body."

"I thought you were still dead," Galaxia returned, the venom thick in her voice. "I guess you found out about our little manipulations."

"You should know by now that very little goes on in the Protectorate without Alania's knowledge. She kept a very close watch on you, for instance. When you finally made your move, she called me." The Spartan cracked her knuckles, entering another battle stance. "Now then, monster, you have my daughter in your clutches. I want her back, now."

"Then try and take her, Shayera Hall!" Galaxia charged forward, fist coming up and ready to go right through her head.

* * *

Ma-Ti quickly brought the Geo-Chopper's systems online, going through the pre flight sequence. He had to make sure they didn't have mechanical problems before they reached their objective.

The other three Planeteers were doing a visual inspection of the copter, making sure that there was no sabotage. They had to get Kakyuu out of there, so the combatants could focus primarily on stopping Galaxia once and for all.

Laura got in, sitting down in the co pilot's chair. "Ma-Ti, what happens if we're not in time?" she asked. "I mean, what if Kakyuu is dead by the time we get there?"

Ma-Ti tapped his head. "She will not be," he replied confidently. "Galaxia must first get through whoever it is that just arrived, for starters. Not only that, but we also have Gaia. She will survive long enough for us to evacuate her to somewhere safer."

She thought about it for a second, before nodding. "Okay. I just wanted to hear that from you." She leaned back a bit.

Kwame and Gi traded knowing looks, understanding better than most that the world didn't necessarily act like that. It gave, and it took.

The final preparations were complete. The two Heart Planeteers quickly vacated their seats, allowing Kwame and Go to get in. The Earth Planeteer quickly took off, and angled in the direction of the battle.

He could only hope that they were on time.

* * *

Shayera dodged Galaxia's first attack, digging her foot into the concrete so she didn't go too far. Shooting forward, she dealt the first blow with a solid right hook, snapping the younger woman's head back. She quickly moved forward for a second blow.

Galaxia caught the fist before it could connect, squeezing the limb hard. She returned the favor in duplicate, smacking her opponent down the street. She didn't wait for her to get up, and charged forward, fist cocked.

Shayera and Galaxia leaped at the same time, meeting in mid air. They fell from the sky, slamming into an abandoned car. The vehicle detonated, enveloping them both in fire. It wasn't really that much of a problem for either of them. To both of them, it was akin to a warm sunny day.

For a few moments, neither one could been seen, the fire hiding them from view. Then, Galaxia charged out, dragging her opponent right through the concrete, before tossing her into the Parliament building… and got hit by an energy blast for her troubles.

In the excitement of Shayera's return, she had completely forgotten about Sailor Moon.

The Moon Princess forcibly reminded the Golden Senshi of her existence. Rocketing downward as the Guardian righted herself before even coming close to the building, she began punching the woman as hard as she possibly could. Each blow sounded like thunder, each driving Galaxia back a step each time. As an encore, she laced her hands together, and clubbed her right under her chin.

Chaos came to a singular conclusion as she flew through the air, though it wasn't really that much of a revelation; she really hated Sailor Moon.

* * *

Wendy finally stood up, shaking her arms out. The Force filled her very being, the aches and pains of her battle with Galaxia dropping away. She had a feeling she would pay for this later, but she knew that she had no choice. She had to get back into the battle, before the Golden Senshi managed to break Shayera in two.

She could feel Peter in the Force, dazed but on his feet, trying to get to where all the fighting was occurring. She loved his ever confident spirit, and his willingness to face death in the eye without flinching.

She loved him for it, but right now it was suicide. She wouldn't even get back into the fight, but she had to. She had a plan.

In her brief meditation, the Force had shown her a rare and dangerous skill; a skill that the Jedi dared not use. It was a skill that forced a Force Wielder into the very heart of the Dark Side.

The skill of soul extraction.

The underlying principle of the technique was rather simple. The Force Wielder would place their hand on the chest of the person, and concentrate with every fiber of their being. With enough discipline, the Force Wielder could literally pull the soul of a being out. The body would then be nothing more than a vegetable. Only other's sensitive in the Force were capable of defeating such a maneuver. She had a feeling that the Jedi would never use the skill, would never even practice this skill on any living creature. After all, they only had one soul, and you couldn't put it back when you were done.

But Galaxia had more than one soul. Galaxia had many. In this extreme circumstance, the move had been given a second chance. A chance of redemption, as it were. Besides, it wasn't as if she had a choice. She had sensed the dark barrier surrounding Galaxia's spirit, how it anchored her in a way that no supernatural spell could ever accomplish.

A plan set, and her resolve unshakable, she took off.

* * *

The Geo Chopper flew over the streets of Tokyo, heading for the site of the current battle. They didn't really need directions on how to get there. The trail of destruction was direction enough. It looked as though Godzilla had opted to simply go in a straight line, with a few stops to mark his territory. The fact that a single woman did this was considerably more frightening.

Ma-Ti didn't know if they were even going to successfully get to Kakyuu, let alone get her out of there. He had seen the two Guardians slowly moving around, shaking their limbs out, and knew that she had mowed right through them. In the distance, he could feel Peter trying to collect himself enough so he could get back into the fight. Part of him applauded the Eternal youth for his bravery, while part of him wanted to stay out it from here on out. Right now, Sailor Moon and Belldandy were the only ones strong enough and experienced enough to take her on.

No, that wasn't completely accurate. As he thought that, he had suddenly sensed the presence of another entering the fray, one whose mind was far older than the Guardians of Magic, but just as powerful. And, judging by what he was sensing, had already engaged the Golden Senshi.

Gi looked at him, having sensed the same thing. "Ma-Ti… who do you think that is?" she asked.

He shrugged, as Kwame angled in the direction of the Parliament building. "I do not know," he replied. "All I know… is that she is on our side." Both he and Laura had sensed the strength of her soul, how it shined with the strength of a young star. Despite her age, she was still eager to learn, to grow. To stand for what was right.

And right now, what was right was beating the dark entity that possessed Sailor Galaxia into so much paste.

Kwame nodded. "Let us hope that she is up to the task, my friend. Otherwise, this will be a very short battle. Gi, how are we doing?"

"We're approaching the area…" The Water Planeteer blinked in shock, looking out the window. "Damn, look at that!"

Laura quickly looked out the window, blinking in shock as Sailor Moon clocked Galaxia right in the jaw. "Whoa. Now that's impressive."

"Definitely," Ma-Ti replied, not really paying attention. He was a little busy trying to locate Kakyuu. "Okay, she is already out of the Parliament Building. Kwame, touch down at the entrance, as close as you can get us. Then go through the pre-launch sequence as quickly as you can, understood? We will only get a small window."

Kwame nodded. "Understood. Laura, Gi, if Galaxia approaches, try and slow her down."

"We'll do our best," Gi replied, looking at her new ring. "Let's just hope it's enough."

"It will." Laura's own ring pulsed in response to her determination. "We'll make it possible."

* * *

Galaxia finally managed to catch both Sailor Moon and Shayera in her grip, slamming them together, then into the ground. Grabbing them by their legs, she whirled them around, before bringing them down to the ground again, each impact leaving a small crater in its wake.

Shayera started getting up, and was just in time to get a boot to the face. She slammed into a piece of uprooted road. The Golden Senshi was there immediately, grabbing her before she could slide to the ground. "You're a little rusty, 'Mom,'" she hissed mockingly. "Thirty years in a stasis chamber make you soft?"

"You spend that same amount of time in there," Shayera replied. "You tell me how you feel. And second," She slammed an electrically charged knee into Galaxia's sternum, forcing her to let go. "You don't get to call me 'Mom,' Chaos!" Her next shot sent the possessed woman airborne.

Sailor Moon was waiting for her, fists laced together once more. As she came within range, she brought them down, with the soul intent of forming the largest crater, and cause the most damage to her opponent, that she possibly could. She struck down…

… only to be blocked.

Galaxia had righted herself at the last second, her arm coming up to block the potentially devastating blow. Though it did force her back down a dozen feet, it didn't have quite the impact the future Senshi had wanted.

Shayera, on the other hand, had considerably more success with her follow up attack, rocketing upward to slam into the Golden Senshi, elbows first. If she had been anyone else, she would have been snapped in half.

But being who she was, all it did was give her a shockwave of pain up her spine. And it pissed her off even more than she was.

Whirling so fast that she was a blur, Galaxia smashed both of them across their heads. Rocketing down after them, her feet planted into Moon's face, accelerating her rate of descent to Earth.

Sailor Moon quickly grabbed her legs, whirling them around so the other Senshi's head hit the ground first. Leaping away, she shook her head, her wings rippling for a second as she stretched her back out. No matter how powerful the person is, having someone's feet slamming into your spine _hurts_.

Galaxia apparently didn't share that little flaw, or Chaos wasn't affected by her host's pain. She leapt up immediately, knocking the Moon Princess down to Earth once again. Rocketing back up, she met Shayera head on. The two entities ricocheted off one another for several minutes, snarls of energy lashing out in all directions. Each impact would have shattered every window in the vicinity, if they hadn't already been broken earlier.

The impasse ended when the Golden Senshi swerved out of the way, kicking the Spartan hard in the back, sending the woman shooting down to earth. She hovered for a moment, catching her breath. "She's definitely not that rusty," she grumbled, rubbing her arm. "I may have to up the battle a notch." The question was; how? Shayera Hall was considerably more powerful than her, and far more experienced. But why was she not utilizing that full power?

'_Of course,'_ she suddenly thought, as inspiration struck her. _'The Guardian is going easy on me! She doesn't want to hurt her daughter anymore than she already has! That's how I'll beat her!'_ A new strategy formed rapidly, and she got ready to put it into use.

Shayera observed her opponent for a moment, instinctively searching for weaknesses in her defense. Despite the act that Wendy could possibly be on her way, she had to be ready to beat her own child to the point of death, then have Sailor Moon dissolve the forced bond between Galia and Chaos.

A part of her wondered if she could actually do that. Wondered if she could actually hurt Galia, despite everything she knew. After all, she had been holding back deliberately up to this point, forcing herself to fight at the Senshi's level. But then again, she didn't want to destroy Galia. If that meant her desire to protect her own flesh and blood overrode her Spartan code of conduct, so be it. Besides, Galaxia wasn't the opponent. Chaos was.

Her gaze shifted slightly, taking in the battle field around her. She could see Belldandy and Urd slowly rising, possibly healed enough to get involved again. She could see the captain's of _Enterprise_ and _Voyager_ picking up Susan Pevensie from the ground.

And she could see so much more.

This was one of the Guardian's least known abilities; to see the entirety of a universe from a single point in time. From that point, they could locate the disruptions in space time, caused by lord only knows what. They could then teleport directly to that spot and deal with it. After all, each Guardian alone could create a universe. Repairing damage to one that already existed was relatively easy by comparison.

Shayera used hers in a more militaristic manner. She rarely looked for disruptions in the space time continuum, having no patience for it. She used her gift to encompass an entire city or battlefield, to keep an eye on those who were her allies.

She could see two signatures, humming with Guardian energy about four miles distant. James and Lily Potter, she assumed. She had met James grandparents before the mission that almost killed her, and had found them to be honorable folk. And she had just recently met their son, which carried on that tradition proudly. She expected no less from a bloodline as old as Alania herself. She could see the injuries that had been inflicted on their persons, and was relieved to see them healing alright.

Ah, there was Peter Pan, flying towards the battle field, sword in hand. She praised his courage. He would have been made a passable Spartan… especially when he suddenly stopped, assessing the situation clearly.

And there was Wendy, finally airborne, and heading in their direction. All she had to do was keep Chaos busy for just a few more minutes, and then allow Wendy to do her part.

Of course there was a second reason why she had to distract Galaxia. The Planeteers yellow helicopter had just landed, and she could sense Princess Kakyuu was now almost to the top floor. If she even so much caught a glance of the princess, she'd be all over her before anyone could react. So the trick became to draw her away from the Parliament as quickly as possible. But how could she do that without hurting Galia at the same time?

Sailor Moon had had the same insight and the same question. The difference between her and Shayera was that she already knew that it was impossible. Any kind of battle concerning Galaxia was not going to end without some damage being inflicted. The Golden Senshi was that driven, that single-minded.

What they had to do was force Chaos to take compete control, shattering the bracelets herself. Despite the additional power it gave her, it also made her more vulnerable to the Silver Crystal. And she had had about a thousand years to grow more powerful, to better understand the Crystal's intricate workings and its healing abilities. It was the only way for her to be able to heal worlds.

As she looked at the ancient warrior, she caught sight of her expression. The look in her eyes said it all, and it infused the Queen with hope. Shayera was playing a stalling game, which meant someone else knew of a way to do just that, and in a far better manner than the risky venture she had had to undertake.

The two women looked at each other, and nodded as one. Without speaking, a strategy had suddenly presented itself, as both suddenly remembered that they were two. Chaos was one. If they worked together, kept her focused on them, they stood a chance at winning. A plan set, they flew downward, ready to try.

Galaxia merely leaped up, kicking them both in the side of their heads when they came in range. She grabbed them each by a leg, slammed them together, then threw them to the ground hard. Leaping up, she dropped right on top of them, feet driving into the back of their heads. She kept stomping on them hard, driving them in even deeper into the concrete.

Apparently, she had had also had time to come up with a strategy as well.

Fortunately, the distraction worked, though not in the way the two heroines had anticipated. Galaxia's attention was diverted enough for the Geo Chopper to land safely, just as Kakyuu and Aluminum Siren to emerge from the building, hurrying as quickly as they possibly could. They were in the vehicle with all due haste, Kwame lifting off a mere minute later.

Galaxia finally stopped trying to grind their faces under her heels, and heard the sound of propeller blades starting to head into the distance. Looking up, she caught sight of the Geo Chopper as it started. And within, she could sense Kakyuu. "Wrong move, humans," she muttered, leaping upward.

Laura felt the sudden surge of malice before it was right on top of them, and turned around. Her eyes widened in shock. "Damn it, she can jump! Kwame, move this thing!"

Kwame didn't even need to ask. He simply jerked the chopper hard to port.

Not good enough.

The Golden Senshi landed on one of the feet, grabbing hold easily. Steadying herself, she brought a hand up, ready to send it right through the glass and into Kakyuu.

Wendy chose that matter to reenter the fight, using the Force to augment her strength as she grabbed hold of the arm, restraining it. With her other hand, she slammed the palm of her hand into the back of the possessed Senshi. "Time to lose a Star seed, Chaos," she hissed, looking deep within the corporeal form before her.

There were _thousands _of souls within, tied to Chaos by a thin line of energy, leeching them of their power. There were so many of them that she could have extracted a thousand of them, and they would still be cluttered tightly together. She had no idea that there were so many Senshi in the galaxy… though she should've. Nevertheless, it didn't take her long to locate the star seed in question. The dark barrier surrounding it had set it apart very quickly, as was the lack of an energy tendril. Why shackle the Light of Hope when you already have control of her body?

Locating was easy, however. Removing it was a whole different can of worms. She wasn't even sure she could. It was a particularly advanced skill, and required a great deal of practice.

She could fell the Dark Side try and overcome her, felt the barrier surrounding the Star Seed fight back, attempting to corrupt her soul, and immediately knew she could overcome both. They held no temptation to her. Laughing at them, she pushed through, latching onto the star seed… and pulled back.

At the same time, Chaos lashed out with her foot, catching her in the stomach. The young Jedi flew backwards, the seed in question now held in an iron clad Force grip. "Mr. Potter!" she shouted, throwing it to him before righting herself.

Chaos whirled around, staring at the young Jedi's retreating form in surprise. How did she manage to do that? She had managed to punch through Metallus's shields to remove Galia Hall's Star Seed from its prison. How much power could she _call_?

James grabbed the Star Seed with his good hand, looking it over. He could sense the Gene within, and grinned. Obviously, Wendy was luckier than any of them gave her credit for, or simply more patient. He quickly followed up on the second part of Wendy's plan.

After all

Chaos surprise gave way to anger. The uppity brat had somehow managed to extract Galaxia's star seed from her form. How, she still didn't know, but she accomplished it all the same. Turning around, she brought one of her bracelets up.

Aluminum Siren instinctively kicked at the support the Golden Senshi was holding onto the moment she saw the bracelet rise. The sudden shock of it was enough to knock her off balance. She kicked her again, this time in the face, knocking her off the copter. "Good bye, monster!" she shouted.

At the same time, Shayera and Sailor Moon rocketed upward as Galaxia used her Inflation attack to slash the propeller blades off. The Guardian quickly grabbed the Golden Senshi, whirling her around for a few seconds, and threw her right into one of the empty buildings. The building, when being hit by an object of a certain size and speed, and having said object slam through every floor all the way to the sub levels, certainly didn't survive. It promptly collapsed into a pile of rubble, temporarily trapping their ruthless enemy.

Sailor Moon quickly grabbed one side of the Geo Chopper, stabilizing it slightly. Not for the first time, she was grateful for the magically enhanced strength that came with the package. Otherwise, this would have been really problematic.

The problem was that the chopper was rather unwieldy, even for someone as strong as her. It was taking everything she had just to keep it level as she descended. And it was only going to be a matter of time before she lost her grip completely, or the chopper simply shifted more than she could handle.

"Need a hand, old friend?" a new voice, one as familiar to her as Amy's, suddenly whispered in her ear. A few seconds later, a very familiar person was holding onto the other landing strut, equalizing the distribution of weight throughout the vehicle.

The Moon Princess smiled in relief and stunned disbelief. What exactly did Wendy do? How did she achieve this incredible miracle? How could Galia Hall be here, when she had just seen her body hit the ground at a fairly good speed?

Working together, the two Senshi were able to lower the Geo Chopper to the ground without jolting the passengers inside. It was, quite possibly the first time in a long time that they were able to do that. A few lifetimes, in fact. And it felt right.

The Golden Senshi quickly opened the pilot's side, smiling. "Princess," she said in greeting. "Thankfully, you have been extremely difficult to find. Where'd you learn to do that?"

Kakyuu smiled, shocked beyond all measure. "I learned it from your mother, actually," she replied, taking in the sight of Galia. "How is this possible?"

Galia pointed at the young Jedi as she hovered in midair. "Some Force ability that has its roots in the Dark Side," she explained. "Thankfully, it has found some form of redemption in this instance. The young English woman was able to extract me from Chaos's form." She scanned the surround. "Speaking of which, where is that omnipotent sack of shit? She has something that belongs to me, as well as a number of friends and crewmates I would like freed."

Potter pointed over at the ruined building. "Somewhere over there," she replied. "Good luck finding her unconscious. She took everything me and James threw at her, and just smiled."

"It's only going to get worse."

The Golden Senshi turned her head slightly, catching sight of the last person she had ever hoped to see within her lifetime as she landed. "Mother," she whispered. The fates were smiling down on her on this day. She was sure of that.

Shayera smiled a little in surprised gratitude, taking in her daughter. She had never thought she would ever see this day. Then again, she had also expected to live a normal Thanagarian lifespan, and then spend the rest of eternity in that status pod, never to see John again. The Balance probably called for no less. "Sorry that the reunion isn't under better circumstances," she replied, resisting the urge to squeeze her little girl. She still had a job to do, and an enemy that wasn't out of the fight yet.

And indeed, their reunion was cut short by a sudden eruption of debris from the building. A blast of dark energy shot to the heavens, an inhuman roar accompanying it. Everyone turned as one towards the destroyed building. Wendy landed, lightsaber ready.

From out of the rubble, a black form took flight. It was now clothed in obsidian colored armor, massive blade in hand once again. Massive wings had erupted from her back, akin to the wings of a bat.

"Well, Sailor Moon," Wendy commented as they took in this demonic form wearing the face of Galaxia," you wanted her to lose the bracelets. You have gotten your wish."

"Then why am I not happy?" Sailor Moon grumbled, her scepter coming up.

Galia shrugged. "Probably because I'm here, not in there weakening her. Not that I'm complaining. I've been wanting to get my hands on her for quite a while." She smiled at her mother. "Shall we?" she asked.

Shayera returned the grin. "We shall."

**

* * *

**

Hope Island

Gaia and the others watched as the titanic battle raged on, awe, fear, and shock warring in each person as the tide ebbed and flowed.

They had seen how Galaxia had steamrolled through every single defense line like they were nothing. She had tossed two Guardian and two Goddesses aside without much effort, showing her superior skill and experience in the face of greater power. She had reached the Diet Building within fifteen minutes of entering Tokyo, and was on the verge of total victory.

Then the arrival of a new Guardian, one that seemed to be able to match the Golden Senshi blow for blow, arrived, and engaged the enemy. She was soon joined by Sailor Moon, and the two of them managed to successfully fend her off while the Planeteers landed, and tried to get Kakyuu out of there.

Millicent covered her mouth as Galaxia knocked her niece off like she was a bug. Until she had seen Sakar, she had never seen such fury, such black malice on any person's face. Now she had seen her second such person. "How can anyone… just hate for no reason?" she asked.

Qui-Gon observed the screen for a second, the Force showing only so much of Chaos's history. If he had seen it all, he had a feeling he would have most likely gone mad. The human mind could only handle so much pain and suffering before it finally snapped. But what he did see deeply unsettled him. The entity had done such evil, that even the Sith of old couldn't compare to it. And at the same time, it simply acted as its nature dictated. "It is one of the balancing forces in this universe," he replied. "It is nothing but discord, hatred, and rage. It is every vice and sin in the darkest corners of every sentient being. And it is out for blood." He turned around. "Gaia, is there any way for us to get to Tokyo?"

Gaia shook her head. "I'm still recovering from our fight with Sakar," she replied. "Even combined, Zarm and I couldn't get all of you to the fight in time to make a difference." She sighed. "They are on their own."

Mary sighed, sending a silent prayer into the Force, asking it to look out for her daughter and her friends. _'Please, help Wendy and the others defeat this evil power. Help restore peace to the world.'_

Because if they failed here, then nothing would ever matter again.

* * *

Chaos glared at the small group of warriors assembled before, the events that had transpired so unexpectedly reeling through her mind. She had never expected to see Shayera Hall alive and well, not after the events that had led to her downfall and inevitable sealing in a stasis pod. Apparently, Alania was now pulling out all of the stops, gathering allies new and old to help fight in this war.

And now, she faced Galaxia, the Senshi whore that had tried to lock her away for over five thousand years! Even though she didn't possess her henshin crystal, she was still a Trainee, and now an experienced warrior in her own right. Not to mention the aggravation that was Sailor Moon, who was now as powerful as her ancestor had been at her peak.

But now Chaos was stronger as well, more in control. The energy of over eighteen thousand Senshi was pouring through her, increasing her strength to near god like levels. The Sapphire Crystal, a relic of ancient Sparta and Galia's Henshin, increased that power even further. Even Shayera Hall wouldn't be able to stand against her.

But the loss of Galia…

Chaos was going to end that miserable wanna be Jedi child after she had finished carving the two Spartans into pieces. That hurt like nothing before it!

Galia took a step forward, her fists cracking rather audibly. Energy began to collect at her fingertips. "Let's take her," she growled, her usual shyness no longer apparent. Her modest personality always disappeared in the face of a battle, her ancient Greek training coming forward. In her heart, she was Spartan through and through.

Shayera brought her hand up, halting her daughter in her tracks. "No, Galia," she said. "Sailor Moon and I will go in first, and try to remove the broach from her form. Then you get to help us rip her limb from limb. As only a Trainee, you'd be lucky to blind Chaos for a second."

"I see." The younger woman was disappointed, but she knew her mother was right. Apparently, being a Thanagarian soldier had proven beneficial. It had kept her mind sharp.

Chaos angled herself appropriately, her dark blade stepping forward. Then, she flapped her massive wings, and shot downward.

Shayera's wings erupted outwards, flapping hard as she followed her example. They met halfway, swords slamming together with enough force to shatter nearby windows, if there were any windows left to shatter in that area of the city. Separating, they flew forward again, blades clanging again as they passed each other. Chaos, who was simply more agile, turned around while the Guardian circled around, ready to attack again.

Except by this time, Sailor Moon had once again entered the fray, smashing into the dark creature's blind spot. Both fists dug right into the small of the back once again, retching a growl of pain from Chaos.

She promptly paid the Moon Senshi back with a hard elbow, then a whirl kick that cracked her across the jaw. The blow was sufficient in sending the Senshi flying back through the air.

But the attack had served its purpose. Shayera was able to move in quickly, smashing her feet into Chaos's face. Flipping over the villain, she grabbed her by her wings, and used her momentum to literally _throw _the creature through the air. Both women followed after her.

Archer staggered towards Kwame and the others, Janeway supporting him from the side. Both of them were amazed by how determined all three combatants were to win. If the newcomer was of any indication, they stood a good chance of succeeding.

Belldandy landed next to them, tracking the skies. "What happened?" she asked, catching sight of Galia for the first time. "And why is Galaxia standing here, and no one is trying to kill her?"

"If you're looking for Chaos, she, Sailor Moon and my Mom all went in that direction," Galia replied, pointing northwest of their position. "I also owe young Wendy here my life. She literally yanked me out of the creep."

"With the Force, and my own very delicate hand," Wendy added, grinning widely. "It'll make a great story for later."

"Story later," Susan got out, finally joining them. "Dealing with our enemy is a much better idea. Whoever that newcomer was, she is obviously good at what she's doing."

"Speaking of newcomers, who are you?"

"Susan Pevensie."

"Wendy Darling at your service."

"Ah… you're a little young to be her, aren't you? The last I recall, Wendy was over eighty years old."

Wendy looked a little miffed by that. "Mister Potter, when this is over, remind me to find the Timelord, and break my foot off in his bloody arse."

James shook his head, grinning. He really did like this girl. She definitely didn't take crap from anyone. "Will do, young lady," he replied. "Now, what say we go kill Chaos?" His fully regenerated hand flexed, clearly wanting to throttle the woman.

"Let's."

Almost immediately, the two Guardians, the Goddess, and one Jedi shot up into the air, heading in the direction of the battle.

* * *

Shayera was the first to catch up to Chaos, her fist smashing into the dark entity's face. Aside from almost rearranging her nose and mouth, the blow also increased the velocity in which she was hurtling backwards. And it hurt… a whole lot!

Sailor Moon launched a full powered attack at her, which only added to her woes. Moon's powers, which were healing, also made them the perfect weapon with which to harm her. And harm her, they did.

By the time the Dark monster hit the ground, having traveled more than thirty miles from the Tokyo city limits at nearly two hundred miles per hour, her armor was smoking, and some rather ugly blisters adorned her body.

And she was pissed off.

The second Shayera reached her, the dark entity struck hard and fast. Without Galaxia's power diminishing her own, she could put a great deal more into a punch.

The Spartan felt like she had just been hit by the omnipotent version of a bull. Her mouth slammed closed as she went upward about seventy miles, out of control.

Sailor Moon slammed into Chaos with the force of a gale of hurricane wind… and bounced off, like she had hit a brick wall. A couple of seconds later, she found out why.

Chaos, at the last possible moment, had folded her wings around herself, forming a near impenetrable shell. It was said that those wings could deflect the power of the Gods themselves. It was certainly living up to that reputation.

Chaos unfurled its wings, shaking them slightly. Never mind they were indestructible. She still had pain receptors in them, and she still felt the impact. If this kept up, they were going to be very, very sore.

Pushing the pain out of her mind, she darted over to the future Moon Queen, grabbing her by the neck. Charging forward, she started slamming her through every obstacle she could find, regardless if it was a car, a wall, or a tank. Then, with a powerful leap that sent them both airborne, she slammed them both through the streets, right into the sewer systems.

Unfortunately for Sailor Moon, Chaos landed on top, hands at her throat. "Time to die, Moon Princess!" she hissed, squeezing.

Moon felt spots begin to appear in her vision as oxygen was cut off to her brain. She grasped the hands on her throat, trying to pry them off, but Chaos's grip was too strong. And she couldn't exactly box the other fighter's ears, as they were protected by a helmet.

Fortunately, she was spared from trying to come up with a workable strategy by Shayera, who had righted herself and shot down, grabbing Chaos by the scruff of her neck. "Hands off the lady," she snarled, throwing her off. "Deal with me, first!" Her fist slammed into the side of the entity's head, launching her down the tunnel.

Sailor Moon rubbed her throat, simply enjoying the sweet, sweet feeling of air entering her lungs. "Thanks," she got out.

Shayera nodded. "Catch up when you can." She quickly shot off after Chaos, seemingly impervious to the stench of sewer waste.

"Wish I had that kind of detachment from my sense of smell," Moon grumbled, slowly standing up. She couldn't wait until the battle was over to de-transform. Nothing got rid of the smell than temporarily out of control energy.

Of course, she had the feeling that surviving the battle was going to be problematic for her.

Shayera had to finally come to a stop as she rounded a corner, sweeping the area with her gaze, both normal and supernatural. Chaos's unique bio signature stopped somewhere around here, which meant she was probably trying to lay a trap for them. That meant she had to be extra careful here. Within confined spaces such as this tunnel, her maneuverability would be severely hampered.

And she had no idea if Chaos could shift between her energy form and a corporeal form.

Despite the eons in which they had had to study unique omnipotent forces, the Guardians were still unable to correctly grasp the essence that is Chaos. All they knew for certain was that it obtained its power from the very place that Sailor Cosmos would in the distant future; the Galaxy Cauldron. It was the very reason why the center of the Galaxy had become its base of operations. There, its power was infinite.

They also knew that under certain circumstances; say, the Senshi daughter of a highly respected Spartan Guardian using a very dangerous entrapment ability, that Chaos could also possess a person, and utilize their powers and skills. If it ever managed to do that again, then they were all in a lot of trouble.

Now there was a new ability to add to their knowledge; Chaos could assume the form of people it had previously possessed, and most likely shift between the two forms on a whim.

A shadow moved at the corner of her vision. Shayera ignored it at first. It was just a rat scrabbling along the floor, looking for something to eat. Although that scrabbling appeared to be almost frantic, like it was running…

Her attention shifted just a few seconds before the attack was launched. Her own reflexes reacted in time, blocking the punch that would have most likely caved her head in. Unfortunately, she hadn't had time to take into account the surge of dark energy that was released on contact, and that immediately caused to jerk about in agony. Obviously, Chaos had learned a few new tricks over the millennium, including utilizing her own strategies.

The entity snarled at her, gripping her arms tightly. "You should have stayed in your little stasis pod," she hissed, eyes glinting maliciously. "You should have stayed gone, period!"

"And… I should have… brought my… mace," Shayera grunted, her hand jerking around erratically. "Oh… wait. I did."

Suddenly, Chaos received a blow to the gut by a particularly heavy implement. She let go in shock… and pain.

Shayera held up her trusty Thanagarian mace, grinning. "Did I happen to mention that I was a soldier in the Thanagarian military in Realm 4?" she asked pleasantly, energy crackling over the spiked ball. "Because this nifty weapon can disrupt magic in all of its shapes and forms… like your body, for instance. Here, let me demonstrate."

With that, she gave an almighty war cry, swinging the mace in an upward motion.

* * *

James took note of the sound something smashing through concrete, and the sight of something soaring up into the sky near the edge of the city. "Well," he noted. "It looks like Shayera came with something other than her sword."

Potter and Wendy traded looks of intrigue. "Probably Nth metal," the Guardian supplied.

"Ah." Wendy frowned a little in confusion. "Question; what the bloody hell is Nth metal?"

* * *

Chaos felt her jaw scream in protest as she flew upwards. The preparation the Spartan had gone through was now bordering on ludicrous. Her sacred weapon _and_ her Thanagarian mace? Apparently, she wasn't just interested in just beating her in battle. Shayera was aiming to turn her into her bitch, right after reclaiming her daughter's henshin crystal from her broken body.

And she was well on her way on doing that, as she rocketed upward, both weapons coming up. If she didn't club Chaos upside the head, she was going to run her through the chest. Neither option was acceptable in the dark entity's mind.

So she quickly decided that neither would come close to hitting her.

Shayera was almost breathing down her neck when Chaos suddenly stopped in midair, legs spreading out immediately, preventing either weapon from getting any closer to her. Then before the Guardian could react, she smashed both feet together, sandwiching the Spartan's head in between them with concussive force. A knee shortly followed, her blade slashing down.

Shayera saw the sword coming down, and was barely able to bring her own blade up in time to block it. The tip of the other blade still managed to nick her brow, drawing a speck of blood. The force of the blow sent her downward to the city.

Sailor Moon flew in from behind, her scepter powering up… and was stabbed through and through.

Chaos, perhaps sensing that an attack was approaching, had reversed her weapon, thrusting it upward and at an angle. The future Queen had been so close by then, she didn't have time to get out of the way.

The pain was tremendous. It took everything Serenity had not to lose her grip on her powers. Instead, she brought her scepter down, touching Chaos's head. "_Moon Honey Therapy Kiss!_" she gasped out.

Chaos screamed as she received one of the most powerful healing blasts she had ever received in her eternal life. She could literally _feel _the skin burning off of her face. The agony became so intense that she finally let go of her sword, flying away as quickly as she could. The sword vanished almost immediately.

With blood flowing freely from both entry and exit wounds, Sailor Moon slowly descended towards the Earth, fighting to stay conscious. The Crystal was already hard at work, trying to keep her alive long enough to reach the surface. She made it, standing unsteadily on two feet for a full minute.

But then, the ground rushed to meet her as she collapsed.

Shayera saw it all, and was incensed.

Sailor Moon was one of the most incredible people to ever grace the Milky Way Galaxy. Her efforts, her mere existence, had prevented the planet's destruction many times over. And her ability to make friends with just about anyone was legendary. It was those very traits that would allow her to build one of the greatest nations in any time period.

And now, she was dying from a wound that wouldn't close, no matter how powerful the healing spell was.

The Guardian righted herself in midair, and shot upward…

… Only for Chaos to spear her en route, sending them both back down to the streets once again. She immediately began pummeling Shayera senseless, a wild rage transforming her already burned face into a mockery of life itself. "Why won't you _die_?" she bellowed, balling her fists together and bringing them down.

Shayera blocked the blow with her forearm, grunting in pain as her muscles cried out in protest. She couldn't do much of anything until her head cleared, and Chaos wasn't letting up long enough for that to happen. Any rational thought she had was long gone, replaced by a berserker rage that few could match.

Potter brought her hand up, but lowered it almost immediately. "We can't attack from a distance!" she shouted to the others. "We'll destroy Shayera too!"

"And we won't make it in time to stop her from killing the Guardian!" Wendy added. "But let's see if I can pull her off of my friend!" She reached out with the Force.

Chaos felt an invisible hand grab her, and begin pulling her off of her nemesis. "Not this time, you English bitch!" she snarled, using her own power to grab the Force grip, and pull back.

Wendy flew forward against her will, more shocked than anything by her newfound predicament. Apparently, primal emotion was more powerful than the Force any day of the week. It was a little something she would have to keep in mind for the next time.

She also knew that the second she reached Chaos, the entity's fist was going to become very well acquainted with her skull, and possibly with everything in it. She wouldn't survive their final meeting.

Luckily for her, someone intervened before that became a reality.

Sailor Moon, still bleeding out, was able to stagger to her feet. Through sheer will, knowing that there wasn't a chance in hell of her surviving now, she moved forward.

The plan wasn't to fight Chaos head on. She was too powerful for that, and she was in far better condition than the Moon Princess to win such a contest. Instead, it was all going to go on a gamble. A gamble that a good friend of hers used in another lifetime, to defeat an even more powerful being.

So, Moon, moving so fast that Chaos didn't even have time to react, ran up to her, grabbing the entity from behind. "Let's take a flight, express," she hissed, wings flapping hard.

Wendy, who had been pulled forward by Chaos, suddenly found herself reeling backwards as the entity's grip suddenly vanished. She was hit by a shockwave as the Moon Princess suddenly shot towards the heavens, taking their nemesis with her. It had all happened so quickly, she didn't fully grasp what was going on.

James did however, and his eyes widened. He observed their trajectory, the speed in which Sailor Moon was flying, and immediately guessed what desperate strategy was being utilized. "Is she going to do what I think she's going to do?" he asked his wife, real worry and shock shining through.

Potter nodded, tears beginning to form. "She is," she whispered, sending a silent prayer to the Moon Queen. "By Merlin, she is."

* * *

Moon pushed herself harder and harder, taking both of them higher up into the sky. Her wings flapped, increasing her speed, while her blood continued dripping down her body. She ignored it, ignored the lightheadedness, focusing solely on her destination, on her final task. After all, in a few moments, it wasn't going to matter anymore.

Chaos struggled mightily, trying to flip around so she could throttle the Moon Princess, but was unable to. Her grip was unyielding, her determination too great to overcome. "You think you can kill me by cold vacuum?" she shouted. "I can survive in space without any difficulty!"

Moon smirked a little at that. Evil could be so stupid sometimes. "I'm not aiming for space!" she shouted. "In fact, we've got a one way express ticket back to Earth, Chaos… and a little faster than how we left it!" Ah, they had reached the midway point of their final journey. "We're going down together, at long last!"

And Chaos screamed in impotent fury as the Moon Princess suddenly swung them both around, hands gripping leathery wings, and began what would most likely be a fatal descent to the ground…

* * *

James was the first to locate them, and his eyes widened even further than before. "Here they come!" he shouted.

"Isn't there any way for us to catch Sailor Moon before they hit the ground?" Wendy asked frantically.

Shayera shook her head sorrowfully, rubbing her throat. "The Moon Princess has her hands on Chaos's wings, to prevent her from using them to avoid death. If we try to teleport her away, then Chaos will also live." Her gaze shifted towards the little fireball shooting towards the ground, frustration and helplessness warring within her. For a being who could do anything, being unable to do just that was a bitter pill to swallow. "In this case, there is nothing we can do."

The young girl turned to observe the same thing, tears leaking from her eyes. Only now did she truly understand true sacrifice. Only now did she realize just how dangerous the life of a hero was, how much sacrifice is required.

She hoped that she could be half as selfless in the future, if her time ever came to make such a choice.

None of them were sure as to what was happening, nor would they ever be able to completely grasp it. They would never understand the sheer powers that were clashing, nor the ancient battle that had culminated eons before it was supposed to. And they certainly couldn't realize just how long the war had really gone on.

All they truly knew was on this day, a hero died saving them, while she was still fighting on another world.

Eternal Sailor Moon's speed had long since reached a point past her escape velocity, her iron grip on Chaos still going strong. Her wings were flapping furiously, as every bit of power was pumped into them. Her mind was focused on this one final task.

Chaos continued to struggle, her power coming out in every direction. Several little blasts struck her captor, eliciting new injuries, but the Moon Princess was at a point beyond pain. It no longer matter what the Dark Senshi did. They had reached the point of no return.

As the two combatants rushed towards the ground, Serena Tsukino felt nothing but peace. Her life flashed before her eyes, every single decision she had made, every battle she had fought, had led her to Crystal Tokyo, and then to this moment. And soon, very soon, she would be reunited with her family. She would finally be free.

She flashed back to another life, to the Moon Kingdom. To Princess Mars, her dear, fiery, and most aggravating protector. The woman with whom she shared a deep bond of sisterhood with. To sweet Venus, the Senshi who was most like her in so many respects with whom she enjoyed gossiping with on matters not of the state. Strong, unbreakable Jupiter, who was a pillar of strength and determination that no one could break. Her beloved Prince Endyimon, who risked incarceration and death to be with her during those fateful final days. His love was the one thing she wished she never did without.

And of course, Mercury. Her adopted sister. Not the strongest of the Senshi in terms of power, but the greatest of all time. She was the most loyal of her royal court, the one who stood by her no matter what. The one who fought Queen Beryl to the last breath… and beat her. It was a feat she would repeat in this lifetime.

Her thoughts finally turned to her daughter, her sweet, sweet Rini, and her past self, the memories of those carefree days soothing her even more as her death swiftly approached. _'At least she will still have her parents,'_ she thought, a smile gracing her face. _'I hope… I hope she will grow up to be happy, and-,"_

And then… impact.

The shockwave from their impact spread across the city, shattering all surviving windows and knocking down buildings that were by now too weak to handle it. Luckily, no one was nearby when they struck, but everyone in the city lost their balance from the resultant aftershock.

In the days to come, some would remember the sheer force that had been unleashed by their impact, how the air and the ground literally heaved to. Others would recall the massive impact crater that formed right in the center of the city.

But most would remember the day, as the day one of the greatest heroes of any age finally fell.

Archer, Janeway, and Susan reached the crater first, quickly followed by the three Guardians and Wendy, all of them recoiling instinctively from the sheer heat of it. The smoke billowing up from it was more than enough to obscure their sight.

But slowly, ever so slowly, a single figure emerged from the battle zone, blood trickling from her mouth, both eyes almost completely red. For a few seconds all of them tensed… before seeing who it was.

Neo Queen Serenity limped forward several feet more, before finally collapsing to the ground, and moved no more. She had de-transformed, revealing what once had been a beautiful white gown, but was now little more than rags. A gold tiara with precious stones, the only thing on her that appeared to be indestructible, slid off of her head, skidding across the pavement. An object fell from her hand, revealing itself to be the Sapphire Crystal, still contained within its locket.

Janeway knelt down next to the older woman, slowly rolling her over, checking for a pulse. It was extremely thready, almost too weak to be detected. Her breath was equally shallow, and blood bubbled from her mouth. It was entirely possible that she wouldn't last long enough for the EMT's to stabilize her. Even _Voyager_ probably wouldn't be able to help her now. The fact that she was still alive was nothing short of a miracle.

Galia landed right in front of her, picking up her crystal. "Maybe I can heal her," she said, voice shaking as she knelt down on the other side. "I have to be able to…"

"There's nothing any of us can do," Shayera whispered sadly. "I'm still recovering, and so are the Potters. Chaos has seen to that, Galia."

Neo-Queen Serenity's unfocused eyes suddenly did focus on Galia, somehow knowing it was her fellow Senshi. She smiled. "Is she…?"

"You did it, Sailor Moon," Galia replied quietly. "You stopped Chaos." She gently brushed through golden strands, soothing the dying woman. "You saved everyone, including Princess Kakyuu."

Serenity nodded, a small smile emerging on her face. "Good… that's all that really matters now." A small cough erupted at that, fresh blood bubbling to the surface. "Galia… I'm sorry… that Crystal Tokyo won't be created now. You… would have… loved it." She coughed, more blood coming up. She felt Galia's hand stroke through her hair, and relaxed, her vision starting to go dark. "If you should see Rini… tell her… I am forever proud of her and everything she's done. Tell her… that… I'll always be… with her… no matter what…"

"…I promise, your Majesty," Galia replied, even though she didn't need to say it aloud, or anything else for that matter. Because when she looked into those eyes again, there was no light within in them. She checked for a pulse and breathing… and got neither.

Eternal Sailor Moon had passed away.

Janeway's head bowed as the Golden Senshi started crying, hearing Shayera start mumbling a prayer to the Gods she believed in. Another brave soul had died fighting evil, one who was as pure as any person could ever be. She had earned her rest, many times over. Except this time, the rest was permanent.

The captain of _Voyager_ was not a very spiritual person. She was a scientist, who always challenged every scientific and spiritual concept around her. But today, on this day of days, she found herself doing the one thing she hadn't had done since she was a child.

She found herself praying to God.

Susan watched the scene before her, her gaze distant as she remembered her family, taken before their time. Though they were now in Narnia, once more ruling the great lands under Aslan, they could never to Earth.

Unlike her, who could never die… until her unknown task was done.

* * *

Molly's eye shone with tears as she watched the impossible happen. She couldn't believe it. She had known Sailor Moon for years, and had always assumed the woman to be un-killable. She was Tokyo's ultimate defender, Earth's greatest hero.

But now, as she watched Sailor Galaxia mourn over her body, Molly now knew that very few were truly un-killable. And her best friend wasn't one of them.

The tears fell down her face as she remembered everything that had happened over the last day. First Melvin, now Sailor Moon. Who would be next?

"Serena…" she whispered, "I'm so sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't help you. I'm sorry you could never tell me the truth. I'm sorry for everything."

And she was sorry for everything that would never come to pass.

**

* * *

**

Hope Island

Silence reigned.

Every one present in the Crystal Chamber was grieving, having just witnessed perhaps one of the most selfless acts of heroism. Even Zarm, who was usually immune to such things, was uncharacteristically silent.

Gaia turned away from the screen, trying to marshal herself. "We have very little time to grieve right now," she said quietly. "Smith is preparing for his push to Mexico. We need to be ready."

Mary brushed a tar from her eye, then centered herself, breathing in and out. Gaia was right. They would be allowed to bury their dead, but only after the battle was over. Their enemies were on the move, and would not stop until they were all dead. Like it or not, they were all that was now capable of standing against the Death Dealer.

And they had to win, so Sailor Moon's sacrifice was not in vain.

George looked up, his eyes uncharacteristically grim. He had been sitting on the sidelines while his family risked their lives protecting this world. "Do you need another set of hands there?" he asked.

"Two sets of hands," Millicent interjected. "We may not be able to brandish a pistol, but we can help with preparation."

Mary was about to put a lid on it, but then realized where this was coming from. She also knew that nothing short of knocking them out and tying them up would deter them.

Gaia nodded grimly. "Why not? It's not as if we'll live if Sakar wins." She turned around, staring at the screen. "We leave in two hours," she said.

**

* * *

**

Lunar, Inland Sea

Rini suddenly stopped in her tracks, her body shuddering as a cold chill suddenly shot through her, totally at odds with the warm breeze blowing off the fresh water sea. Someone she cared for had just died, but who?

Suddenly, her eyes widened with shock. There was only one possible explanation for it, one that she had thought was impossible. "No… it can't be."

Sailor Moon and Darien had both noticed that their future daughter was no longer beside her, and turned around. "Rini…?" she asked, taking in her gaze. "What's wrong, honey?"

The little girl looked up, tears forming in her eyes as she figured it all out. "Mommy," she whispered. "I don't know how, but she's dead, Serena. My mommy's dead!"

Everyone turned around at that silent statement, eyes widening as Serena and Darien knelt down, gathering her up in a family hug, all of them realizing what that meant.

The future as the Senshi knew it was gone forever. Rini was now the only survivor of the Thirtieth Century. A blip in the cosmic balance with no time to call her own. She was an orphan before she was even born.

And there was nothing any of them could do to change that.

* * *

Well, here is the next chapter of Armageddon. Please read and review, let me know if there is a way I can improve upon this. I really would like the input.


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

It was a scene of barely controlled chaos.

People were running every which way, packing supplies. Sentinels and Marines were busy coordinating the transport of weapons and personnel through Heaven Gates. Goddesses were frantically speaking to the Pentagon, trying to get the planetary wide communication system online. Clash was getting his small commando unit mobilizes, telling them to meet them at the battlefield.

The reason they were in such a hectic state was because of the fact they were heading for west coast of Mexico, to the ancient temple. The Mexican Government, understanding full well what was at stake here, had unanimously approved their request, and had even offered them a few thousand of their own soldiers to augment the defense. An offer that had been eagerly accepted.

What was more, the UN had put together a task force from over fourteen different countries, and sent them towards the U.S. southern neighbor. They were doing everything they possibly could do in a situation such as this.

Gaia just stood there, watching the future die a very slow death before her very eyes.

Since the creation of Earth, she had protected the world's environment from both natural and manmade disasters. Every generation of Planeteers had successfully managed to delay Earth's destruction without Captain Planet's assistance. And with the latest group of Planeteers, she was even prouder than before. They had pulled off the impossible where others would have failed.

But now, they faced a foe that couldn't be defeated by merely conviction and a lucky shot. This wasn't a foe that was just trying to destroy the environment, or try and drive a species into extinction. This foe was trying to kill them, and he wouldn't stop until he had successfully done so, or they managed to kill him. And if that wasn't enough, there was also the Sunak to contend with. The time of their invasion was now only two days away, and the fleet in orbit was still trying to come up with a suitable strategy for taking on superior numbers and unfamiliar tactics.

She forcibly reminded herself that Wheeler and Linka were out there, most likely still going through their trial. If anyone could stop Sakar, it was them. So long as they still lived, she had hope.

"Gaia? We're heading out."

The Spirit turned around, meeting George's sympathetic gaze, and nodded. The time for teaching and preparation was over. "Well then, let's do this," she said, steeling herself for what could be Earth's last stand.

Or it could be a new chapter in humanity's growth as a race. She was fervently praying for the later.

**

* * *

**

Pocket dimension

"This is not what I was expecting," Linka grumbled, wiping sweat from her face before it could into her eyes. "If I had known we were going to be in the middle of a sauna, I would have packed a bathing suit, or some sunscreen."

Of course, the two Planeteers were not in the middle of a sauna, unless the sauna also doubled as a burning desert. If they had ever been to other worlds, they would have been able to compare the heat to Vulcan. It was that hot.

They had managed to emerge from the cave within a few short hours, only to find themselves within the blistering hot desert they were currently walking across. Linka's ring helped elevate some of the heat, though not by much. The fact that their bodies were operating a dozen times more efficiently certainly helped as well.

But Trainees, unlike Guardians, had limits. And the two of them were fast approaching theirs. They had drunk the last of the water several hours ago, and knew they had to find some soon. Otherwise, they were going to wish they were still at home, with indoor plumbing and an ocean to swim in.

"How long do you think we've walked?" Wheeler finally asked, pulling his shirt off as he did so. Due to the lack of a predictable sunrise and sunset, they had quickly lost track of time.

The Wind Planeteer shrugged, at a loss, while she tried not to stare. Despite their newly forming relationship, she was still a little shy when it came to showing her emotions, especially now that her boyfriend was now shirtless. "Probably four days," she replied, wishing she could do the same. "Our watches are not very helpful in this place." She glared at the object in question, as if her displeasure would be enough to make that little fact change. "In fact, I think they have stopped altogether."

Which didn't help their situation any. They knew the Sunak would attack within the week, but they didn't know how much time they had left before then. They didn't know if Sakar had returned from wherever he had gone, and they certainly didn't know if their friends were still alive. A lot of unknowns, and there was no time to rectify them.

His gaze swept the desert, and blinked, when he caught sight of something. "Hey, look over there," he said, pointing ahead. "I think we've just gotten our wish."

Linka's own eyes swept the area in question, a small smile forming on her lips. "_Da_, I think you are right, Yankee. But, what if it is a trap… or a mirage, for that matter?"

"What if it isn't? We won't know until we take a look." He caught sight of her expression. "If it even looks dangerous, we'll bail. Okay, babushka?"

"Okay."

His eyes lit up with her response, even as he silently congratulated himself on having a sensible decision. He was more for going in and taking the bad guys out, not thinking of the consequences if it turned out to be the wrong decision. And, most of the time, whenever he was around Linka, he had thoughts that were definitely not family friendly. Of course, he had the feeling Katie was the same way. His parents certainly were, and not shy about it.

What he didn't know was that Linka had had many of the same thoughts concerning him. She was forever in awe of his boundless energy, of how he could lift an entire room up with his mere presence. People would follow him, simply because he was that charismatic, and that loyal. Even Gaia had been forced to admit that he was capable of far greater things, after he had managed to protect her from Zarm, all by himself. And in her darkest dreams, she wondered.

She wondered what it would feel like to have him on top of her, to feel his bare skin slide across hers, among other things. It was enough to bring a blush to her face if she thought about it too long.

Sighing quietly to herself, she started after her counterpart, knowing that such things would happen in due time. And in the middle of the most desperate quest either of them had ever been on wasn't the right time.

She just hoped they could successfully pull it off.

**

* * *

**

Hope Island

Katie hefted the automatic weapon she was presently holding, trying to keep her hands from shaking too hard. The last time she had used a weapon like this was in another realm, and she had fired rather blindly, which is always a stupid thing to do. She could've hit someone she didn't want to. Like Wheeler.

So here she was on the practice range, trying to work up her resolve to actually fire at something, without blinding herself first. She wanted to help. She didn't want to stay here, completely useless to the world while everyone else fought.

Now if only she could keep her hands steady…

"You're thinking too much about it."

The young woman almost leaped out of her skin at the sudden voice, barely restraining the urge to turn around while the safety was off. "Amara, not a good idea to sneak up on someone holding a deadly weapon, _while _they're shaking like a leaf," she replied quickly, putting the safety back on before turning around. "It'll prove hazardous to your long term health."

Amara nodded, taking a step back. "You didn't whirl around and start shooting, so you've got plenty of self control. I'd say you wouldn't have shot me. You just don't have confidence."

"Difficult to, when you're holding something that usually used to kill people."

"So why are you holding it?"

"Because I'm Wheeler's sister," she replied. "Those Agents are going to come after me no matter what happens. I might as well fight them in Mexico before they come after me or Mom."

Amara could understand that. Family was the most important thing in the world. It made her wish that she still had some to turn to. Some that she could actually be proud of, or would be proud of her. "Well, first off, you need to relax. You shoot like you're a robot, you're going to hurt yourself. Here, let me help you there."

Katie held herself still as Amara adjusted her posture, making sure that the butt of the weapon was securely pressed against her shoulder, then adjusting her aim a little. "It's easy with this kind of weapon. You just point, and let it loose. Just remember to keep it pointed at the target, and think about something relaxing. It'll help… a little."

"Relaxing thoughts. Got it." Willing to try anything, Katie quickly began thinking about any relaxing thing she could that would work. Laying out in the park, taking a nice soak in a spa, playing with her neighbor's dog. Simple, everyday things.

Apparently, it worked somewhat. Her shaking had become less noticeable, her aim steadier. Taking a breath, she disengaged the safety, took aim, and pulled the trigger briefly.

Amara waited for the echoes of the four shots to fade away, before heading over to the target spot. "Not too shabby," she said, smirking. "You actually managed to hit the paper."

"Ha, ha, ha." Katie replied, managing a smile. "At least I actually hit something. And how did you know? I mean, you can't be much older than I am."

"Well, according to Michelle, I'm a reborn warrior from the Silver Millennium… whatever that means, and can master any weapon easily. Colonel O'Neill showed me the basics on how to use a gun, and I figured out the rest." Amara smiled. "I've been spending a whole lot of time here, trying to improve my aim."

The other girl nodded. "Well, I'm going to have to do that when we get there. I just wanted to get used to it before we go. Anything else?"

"The last groups are being transported there. Gaia told me you would be here, so I came to talk to you. Are you up for this?"

"Do we have a choice? Well then, let's get going, then." Making sure the safety was back on, Katie started for the main buildings, praying that her brother would soon return. She had already lost her dad, and almost lost her mom.

She didn't want to lose her brother for a second time.

**

* * *

**

Deep Space

'_The _Scimitar_ lives up to its namesake,'_ Bre-tac found himself musing, a very human shudder going through his frame. It looked nothing less than a weapon, and one that was ready to be used.

The _Scimitar_ was, at this point of time, the only vessel of its kind. Every officer who was promoted to Fleet Admiral had their own customized vessel constructed for them. When they retired or were killed, if the vessel proved to be incredibly effective, they would then name the vessel class after them, and begin mass production. This particular ship was a warship, and from he had gathered, nothing else.

Bre-tac didn't like that one bit. Even the Goa'uld vessels had science departments to study any new life they found. They had people trained in diplomacy, if for no other reason than to trick those they were negotiating with. To have a ship dedicated to nothing else but war… it meant the person in command wanted conflict, wanted bloodshed. It was a weapon meant to be used.

It wasn't a person you wanted in peacetime. It was someone you kept at arms length. But in wartime… this was the person you wanted if you wanted results.

Unfortunately, it would also make it rather difficult for them to persuade him to halt his invasion. All that could be done was hope that he was someone who only preferred bloodshed when he had no other choice.

Zephyer walked right next to him, his walk as formal and assured as any military officer throughout the cosmos. Having someone who had met the spirits up close and personal was also a double edged sword. There was a good chance that he could tip the scales in Earth's favor, but there was also a good chance that it would only fuel the Sunak's desire for revenge, and make the lieutenant a disgrace in the eyes of his people and his nation.

As if sensing his thoughts, Zephyer turned to him. "We must have hope," he said. "If he can be swayed to aide Earth as opposed to destroying it, then we must take that chance."

"What of Karken?"

"He is bound by his oaths as a commander not to intervene, to follow his orders to the letter, no matter how much he may disagree with them. As a lieutenant, I have some leeway when it comes to changing a Fleet Admiral's mind on letting an attack go forward."

"Because if you fail, you may simply be reprimanded."

"Exactly."

That was an enlightening look into the command hierarchy of the Confederation. It seems that, while being in command of a ship granted one immeasurable power, it also shackled them to their commanding officers. Quite different from the Tauri, where if an officer found a set of orders to their disliking, they could argue about it, even if it was behind closed doors. They could even disobey those orders if a better way presented itself. And more to the fact, it was definitely different from the Goa'uld. First Primes, who were expected to obey their 'God's' every command without question.

He decided that the galaxy could learn something from his human allies about military protocol.

He stopped in front of a set of doors, mentally preparing himself for the coming confrontation. And confrontation it would be. "Is there anything I should know?" he asked.

Zephyer nodded. "His race values honesty above all else," he replied. "So long as you stick to the truth, he will listen."

That was more than enough for the Jaffa warrior, and he turned his attention back to the doors, waiting for them to open. And readied himself for war.

**

* * *

**

Stargate Command

Fraiser rubbed her head as she made her way over to her desk, sinking into it. Very rarely did she have to perform triage in her own Infirmary, but having over forty people to work on was one of those times. At least this time, she had a whole lot of help. A M*A*S*H unit's worth.

But now the last of the patients were resting comfortably, their bodies beginning the slow recovery pace. Potter and the other surgeons were all busy cleaning up. Sam was on the phone with the Pentagon, checking on the status of the planetary communication array. O'Neill and Teal'c were discussing strategy with Hammond, while Daniel was busy finishing up some ancient translations. With a little luck, they would have a few hours of rest.

Unfortunately, it also meant that she would have time to think about the mission that was forced upon her.

"Thought you saw the end of this? People from other realms needing your help?"

The SGC CMO started a little, before looking up, catching sight of Hawkeye's grin as he sat down next to her. "I don't know what you're talking about," she replied, very confused.

"I figured a Trainee would be used to this type of trouble."

"Oh, that." Frasier sighed. "It's been a little over twenty years, Captain. I thought I had put all of this behind me… until James and Lily Potter came back from the dead."

"One final mission."

"The completion of my trial, apparently. I need to finish what I started."

Hawkeye understood that somewhat. "You have to kill somebody, don't you?"

She nodded. "The being who killed my counterpart, in fact."

"Gotta suck."

"Not so much, considering the fact the bastard pretty much threatened my little girl."

"Ah."

"The problem is that I am a Air Force Major, and if I go through with this… personal vendetta, I'll be placing my career in jeopardy, not to mention running the risk that I'll make Cassie an orphan again. I can't do that."

"But you have no choice," Hawkeye supplied. "As a Trainee, regardless of what you want, you're answerable to the Guardians. You have to follow orders."

Fraiser nodded, not surprised by his knowledge. As a warrior of Dreamscape, he was familiar with Guardian practices and laws. He had to be, if only to avoid them.

Sighing, she leaned back, rubbing her eyes. She had forgotten that she still had limits, even though it took a while. She was rapidly approaching them. "Well, it's over, and I can at least enjoy a few hours of peace with Cassie before the next major emergency arises."

"I'm afraid not, Doctor," Hammond suddenly said from the door, startling both surgeons. From the look on his face, he was about to seriously regret saying what he had to say. "You're on the next chopper to Mexico. So are you, Captain Pierce. Sakar's army is on the move. Colonel Potter has graciously offered the services of his unit."

On the other hand, maybe her life was nothing more than one big emergency after another.

**

* * *

**

New Zealand

Fate was on the side of those who seized it.

It was a lesson drilled into the minds of every single Agent serving the Death Dealer; that destiny had always been theirs and theirs alone. All they had to do was take it into their hands, and mold it to serve their purpose.

And now, ten thousand of them were doing just that.

It was an army forged over the course of a thousand years, created for only one purpose; to destroy the world. Men from the Dark Ages to modern time had been turned, frozen in a moment of time, only to be revived when the Deadly Alliance had been formed. A full scale attack on all of the Big Ten was soon to be in full effect, and they would be part of that victory.

The army was well underway now. Their plan was simple and direct; to create a bridge across the ocean and march right through Mexico, converting every human being they came across, then create another bridge to Hope Island. If the center of the Spirit's power was taken, the Earth would be greatly weakened. The Sunak, unknowing dupes that they were, would be able to finish the job of destroying the planet most efficiently, thus plunging Realm 2 into darkness forever. It was a simple plan.

However, no plan ever went off without a hitch, as Smith knew very well. The _Enterprise's_ appearance, the arrival of the Potters into the fray, and most recently, Chaos's defeat at the hands of Sailor Moon and Shayera Hall, had forced them to alter their strategies somewhat. As his spies had stated, their course would take them past an old Aztec shrine, located near the shoreline. If one of their enemies managed to calculate their trajectory, there could be a sizable opposition waiting for them. They would have to deal with them before they moved on.

On the plus side, the Keeper of Fire and Wind were still off the radar, which meant they were still on their journey. They wouldn't be on it forever, which made achieving victory all the more important.

He knew this, and so began to come up with an alternate plan. One that none of them would see coming.

Blight smiled as her power swelled all the more. It had been so long since she felt anything less than a mere flicker of her strength move through her veins. A pity her sister was no longer among the living to witness the last days of Earth's existence, or her own restoration to full power. It was always nice to have a knowledgeable audience.

Her sister… she hadn't thought of goody two shoes Bambi Blight since she tried to stop that environmental movie several years ago. She had had MAL locate her four months after that to end her, which he had done with relish, though they had never found the body. She had never understood her. Why would she give up her position as Spirit of Life to live as a mortal? To keep balance? If that was the case, then they really needed to fire her handler. There was no such thing as balance. There was good, and there was evil, and there were the pawns in between. Nothing more, nothing less. No harmony, just chaos. Destruction.

She watched as Hope Island's population began to disappear slowly, and smirked. They would leave a skeleton staff to look over the refugees that remained, while they went to fight Sakar's army. Didn't they realize it was hopeless stop the Death Dealer? Without the Fire and Wind Eco freaks, they would never win. He was just that determined, that powerful.

Her only regret was that she wouldn't finish Lilith Sloane off herself. She never liked to leave things unfinished. Especially since Lilith Sloane had cost her several contracts and physically beat her to a pulp. Still, hearing about it after Sakar destroyed her would be a pleasant replacement.

Knowing that all of them would be taken care of, she stood up, making her way to her new lab. She had a new creation that she had just finished, and she wanted to test it out. If it held up to the rigors of field work, she would begin mass producing them.

And wouldn't you know, the Planeteers of Fire and Wind had unknowingly volunteered to be the test subjects.

**

* * *

**

Pocket Dimension

Well, on one hand, Linka was pleased to admit that she was wrong. It wasn't a trap, or a mirage. On the other hand, it did open up whole new avenues of questions.

Initially, it was exactly as it appeared from a distance; a small village straight out of the Middle Ages, out in the middle of nowhere, and complete with a small population. And, like most villages located in the middle of a desert, it was located near an oasis.

But now that they had gotten closer, and as the sky darkened with approaching night, they quickly noticed a few differences. The first was the fact that the inhabitants were all armed to the teeth. They were also very fast. By the time Wheeler and Linka had come within a few dozen feet of their home, they had been quickly surrounded by two dozen warriors, spears within half an inch of their faces.

The second thing was that they were all staring at them, like they had never seen actually people before. Which, considering the relative isolation they seemed to be in, that was a distinct possibility. After all, they were most likely the only settlement within the pocket realm.

The third thing was that they weren't human, unless humans suddenly had pointed ears and reddish skin.

Wheeler stepped forward, knowing that his bloodline had run across them before, but he didn't know where. If they were in a desert, then it was probably during the decline of the Byzantine Empire. He quickly showed them his crest, letting them take a good look at it. "I don't know the proper ceremony for contact, and I don't know who you are, but we are the Keepers of Fore and Wind," he said slowly. "And we have no time for proper greetings. We require your help in a matter of the greatest importance."

The warriors didn't move one bit, their spears not wavering in the slightest. Linka started to worry that this was a bad idea, and if fighting back would be the correct decision. Would a blast from her ring even be effective in this world?

Suddenly, as if from a mental command, the elves parted like a wave, allowing an elderly man to approach them. Both of them stayed perfectly still, though Linka pulled her crest out. No sense in taking chances.

The elder looked their crests over very thoroughly before gesturing for them to raise their ring hands. They quickly did so, letting him take a look at their rings. After a moment, he made a near invisible gesture. Almost immediately, the guards lowered their weapons, relaxing, some of them even smiling a little.

Wheeler smiled gratefully, bowing to the elder, who returned it. He turned to his girlfriend, catching sight of how tense she was. "See, Linka. Everything's all right."

"Yes, but there are many questions I would like answered," Linka replied, finally releasing the breath she had been holding in relief. "Who these people are would be a good start."

"I was having the same thought." He grabbed her hand before she could pull back, grinning outright. "Well, come on. We're going to need food and water, while we figure out whether or not they can speak English."

She looked at their enjoined hands, thought about saying something, then decided against it. It felt nice. Besides, she was certain that holding hands was among the things couples did in public.

And she wanted to do that, and so much more

As it turned out, the elves could speak English very well, though it was a rather archaic form. They were in fact descended from a group of elves that had lived near Camelot when it existed. They had been allied with the Sloane bloodline for a thousand years, waiting for the day when their descendants came to claim the power that was there's by right.

Now, as Wheeler and Linka enjoyed a good meal and some cool wine, they understood why.

"Tis was an ancient pact that we had made with thy ancestors," the elder explained, sitting Indian style on a large pillow before them. "Sir Joseph of Sloane protected our home during the time of King Arthur from Mordred and his hordes. In gratitude, we promised to aide thy family when thou came to claim the power that is yours."

"So when he died, Merlin and Serenity created this pocket realm for you," Linka said, putting the pieces together. "It allows you to keep your promise, while at the same time protecting you from Sakar's wrath."

"But because of Sakar's actions, we have a rather small window of opportunity to achieve it," Wheeler added, his gaze darkening a little in anger. "Somehow, a representative of this Deadly Alliance managed to coerce the Sunak into launching a full scale attack against Earth, making them think that we're a threat to them." He shook his head. "Simple, but brilliant."

"Tis truly disturbing. The Death Dealer is truly a monster."

"And more, I can assure you." Sighing, the Fire Planeteer set his glass down. "Honored Elder, can you tell us about my ancestors? About the first keepers of these rings?"

"I would like to know about them myself," Linka added, curious as to how Wheeler's family really started.

The Elder smiled slightly, standing up. "Tis a story that shall have to wait until tomorrow," he said. "Both of thee need thy rest before thou continue on thy quest."

Both Trainees bowed their heads respectfully before rising, heading out into the night air. A younger elf gestured them to follow him, which they did. He led them to a house near the oasis, smiling. "The maidens have drawn water for you to bathe with," he said, bowing. "Sleep well, Milord, Milady. No harm shall befall thee whilst here."

"Thank you," Linka stated, taking a look around at the room. It looked homely enough, with a bed in one corner and those pillows they had used in the Elder's house. A large tub had also been set up, and was filled with warm water. It looked a hot tub without all of the attachments.

Wheeler frowned thoughtfully. "You know, I don't think they gave us enough water to take separate bathes."

"I have noticed, Yankee," Linka replied, blushing lightly. "They probably think we have been together intimately for years."

"Well, if you wanna get technical, we have been together for years."

"Not like this. I mean, we have kissed like… what, once?"

The Fire Planeteer grinned, shrugging. "Well, we need to wash all of this sand and sweat off, so let's steel our resolve and just get in. We do need to talk about a whole lot of things. And, just to preserve your modesty, I'll turn around so I don't see anything."

Sighing, Linka quickly turned as well, pulling her shirt off, then her bra. Quickly shimmying out of her boots, socks, shorts and panties, she was in the tub immediately, keeping her body well below the water and her eyes closed.

Wheeler had followed suite, showing remarkable restraint as he kept his gaze on her face. Things were already uncomfortable enough without him drooling over her. She was grateful for that, if a little disappointed. He had seen her in rather skimpy swimming attire, after all…

"So," she began, pulling the band holding her ponytail in place loose, shaking her hair free, "what do we need to talk about?"

Wheeler sighed, leaning his head back. He had hoped to wait for a few minutes as he got used to their situation, but he should've remembered that Linka didn't like wasting time. "Well… us, actually."

"Us?"

"Where we go from here… after all of this."

Linka frowned. As focused as they had been on trying to stop Sakar, she hadn't really given it any real thought. But now that she did think about it, she realized that she didn't need to. It had taken her a whole lot of time, but she now knew that, in all the years she had known him, she had never had to even think about it. She had known from the first day. She just hadn't realized it.

Linka smiled slightly, her blush deepening. "I do not know if either of us will survive our fight with him," she said slowly, crossing her arms. "And do not remind me that I am being pessimistic. I just know enough of the world to know that death comes when you least expect it, and so do you. But… I would like to try and spend the rest of my life with you… if that is that you want."

Wheeler grinned. "That's what I've wanted for the longest time, Linka. It always has been." He twirled his finger. "Now turn around. I'll do your back."

Her smile and blush now at full bloom, the Wind Planeteer did just that, feeling his hands slide up and down her back and shoulders. She sighed a little, wondering if an impromptu massage was how Laura and Ma-Ti started. "Wheeler… what was your biological father like?" she asked after a moment, trying to take her mind off of the sensations his hands were causing.

Wheeler paused for a second in ministrations, thinking hard. Considering the fact that he last saw his father when he was nine, his memories were considerably rusty. "He was noble," he finally replied. "Kind, gentle, and always put his family first. He and Mom were completely devoted to one another. And they doted on me and Sis, always making sure to go to our school plays and helping us with our homework." His gaze shifted slightly. "He used to look at me and say…"

"_My boy, one day you'll meet the woman of your dreams, fall in love, get married, and spend the better part of your adult life being teased by her,"_ Linka supplied, a small smile starting to form. "And then your mother would slap him upside his head, as if to confirm it." She shrugged at his surprised look. "The more you talk about him, the more I remember my dreams from my childhood. I used to write all about them in my diary. And no, you cannot read about it."

"No need. I lived it. Besides, they're childhood memories. I'm pretty sure they're not hot and heavy enough for me to even think about."

Linka, without turning around, quickly splashed him with some water, giggling as she blushed. "Is sex all you think about?" she asked.

"No. Just having sex with you, and in just about every position imaginable."

"… I have no witty or scalding reply for that. That was… not surprising, but it is pleasant to know." She smirked. "If you wish to know, I have had many of the same thoughts about you.

Wheeler smiled, a little pleased that he rendered her speechless for even a second with his honesty. He was also surprised that she liked that. He figured that she would have scolded him for having such perverted thoughts. On the other hand, he was also thrown for a loop "It's not just that," he said. "I meant an actual life. House, kids… the whole works."

Now she was truly speechless. She would have never, in a million years, thought that William Sloane would want to inevitably settle down. It was truly amazing.

Her smile grew. "Yankee… that is all I could ever hope to hear from you." She leaned into him as his arms enfolded her. "I wonder… if we would ever get together in the original timeline."

"Probably, though we'd also argue a whole lot."

"Probably. We do have differing personalities."

"Not to mention the fact that we were raised in completely different environments," Wheeler added, rubbing her neck slowly. Even now, he was remembering those first days being Planeteers, and how they had both missed the signs. "You had a whole family who watched over you, despite a harsh environment. I could barely stand being in the same room as the old man, and I lived in a city that was full of crime and hatred. It took both of us a long time to accept each as more than simply Planeteers." His gaze shifted slightly. "Of course, this is a whole different can of beans."

"_Da_, that is true." She pulled away, turning to look at him. "My turn to wash your back. Turn around."

After a little bit of maneuvering, considering the size of the tub they were sharing, the two of them were able to change position, allowing Linka access to his back. Linka immediately took notice of a small scar on his shoulder. "Wheeler, where did you get this?" she asked, running a finger gently over it.

"When I was thirteen," he replied. "I was trying to help out a friend when we were ambushed by one of the gangs. I fought them off as well as I could, but one of them managed to stab me in the shoulder. Luckily, the guy's knife was thin, and it managed to miss hitting anything I needed for moving the arm. Unfortunately, we didn't have any medical coverage, and were just about broke so I couldn't get stitches." He grinned. "I decided that it was a badge of honor, one that I would never be ashamed of."

"Because you were helping someone."

"Big time."

Linka finished washing his back, setting the cloth aside as she continued rubbing him. "I have never seen you exercise, and I know how you eat. How do you manage to keep yourself looking so fit?"

Wheeler smirked. "Hell of a metabolism. I also swim late at night."

"Without a stitch of clothing on, yes?"

"Ah, you figured out my secret."

"Not that difficult." She smiled guiltily. "I have been watching you for the last few years. It has been a guilty pleasure of mine."

Well… that was quite the revelation. The images that brought up were quickly translated as a surge of heat, centering itself in his groin as blood began pooling down there. "Really? My, aren't you the naughty one?"

"You have rubbed off on me. Close proximity and all that."

"Apparently."

Wheeler shifted so he was looking in her direction once again, eye boring into her. "Maybe, when this is over, you can join me," he suggested.

Linka paused in thought for a moment, before suddenly moving, pressing herself against him as well as she could and kissing him hard. "I think… I would like that," she gasped when they parted. "But for now… the water is getting cold. We should get out." With that, she rose, revealing her body to him in all of its glory before grabbing a towel, and stepping out like nothing had happened.

Wheeler was understandably shocked by what his counterpart's spontaneous act. Linka had _never_ done anything like that before. He liked it.

Maybe when this was over, they would do more than just swim. Maybe before, even. One never knew what would happen in the future. And that was how it should be.

**

* * *

**

Yggdrasil

Athena stood near the center chair, watching as Peorth barked orders to the technicians on duty, and sighed. Yggdrasil had never been so busy in the two thousand years since the Sunak home world's destruction, nor had the tension ever been so high. Then again, never before has such a battle been on the horizon. Programs were being activated that she had thought would never see the light of day. It was not what anyone who signed up for the relief offices wanted to deal with on any day.

Unbidden, her mind flashed back to her days running the mighty system, watching a young Peorth and Belldandy rapidly make their way up the ranks, the former seeing it as a rivalry. Both so young, so innocent before that fateful day in New York.

Afterwards, Belldandy took Templar training, while Peorth added system maintenance to her list of talents. Sakar, whether they met him or not, had changed both Goddesses. Peorth had wanted to be prepared for the next emergency, and Belldandy had felt an emotion that she had never wanted to feel; hatred. It wasn't how she wanted their first mission down to Earth to end.

But if not for their efforts, the Network would never have been set up, and they wouldn't have a chance at stopping the Death Dealer. And now mankind was entering the fight. If there was a chance that they could win, they would take it.

But mankind should have never been forced into this contest in the first place. She should have dealt with him when he first rebelled, but the Council had assured her that the sentinels could contain him. All they needed was a little time.

It had taken the destruction of the Sunak home world for them to change their tune about the whole situation. And by the time they figured out what he was doing, it was too late. He had grown too powerful for most of them to fight head on… until Belldandy faced him in New York.

Then there was the Prophecy concerning Fire and Wind to take into consideration. She believed in that with every ounce of her immortal being, and had spent the better part of a thousand years waiting for the day when it would come true. And now that day was fast approaching. She couldn't help but feel a little… nervous about it. What would they become, once they had completed their task? And what would she do after this? She had waged war against Sakar for so long, she couldn't think of herself doing anything else. The Death Dealer had defined her very existence.

So caught was she in her musings, she almost didn't hear Peorth come up to her. "Athena?" she asked, getting the older Goddesses attention. "Yggdrasil is about as ready as it'll ever be. We should probably get back down to the Earth."

Athena nodded, steeling herself. What she would be doing after Sakar was defeated would have to wait. Defeating him and his minions had to come first. The sheer enormity of it threatened to envelop her. "To think, a mere millennium of war had passed before the day finally came. A chance to stop the Rogue once and for all."

Peorth sighed, shaking her head. "Athena, if we're going to stop him, we have to do it now, instead of waiting for some prophecy to be fulfilled."

"But sometimes, Peorth, waiting for a prophecy to be fulfilled is the only way to win. Our actions are what make it possible. After all, none of us have the strength to defeat him, even combined." The elder Goddess pinned her former apprentice with a powerful stare. "You above all should know that."

With those words, she made for her gateway, leaving the Yggdrasil head standing there, thinking.

**

* * *

**

Earth Orbit,

_**Enterprise**_

For a ship that was preparing to go after the Sunak fleet alone, it was eerily quiet on the bridge. And it was driving Malcolm crazy.

He wasn't used to this kind of silence on the bridge. Travis was usually either giving them a status report, or telling them a story about his family's journeys. Hoshi was usually going over translations with T-Pol, and Archer and Trip, whenever they were both on the bridge at the same time, would be bantering. Every once in a while, he would join one of their conversations. Even the Xindi crisis had had more noise.

But right now, it was just too quiet. In fact, the only one aside from himself that was on the bridge was Travis, and he was busy correlating with Thor.

"I've got something for you to look at."

The Chief of Security breathed out in relief as Ex joined him at his station, carrying one of the _Enterprise_ portable memory rods. She had probably downloaded one of Yggdrasil's files and adapted it to work in their computer system. And her mere presence was soothing. "Alright, what did you want to show me?"

"Well, this is everything I could find on the Sunak and their customs. You know, on the off chance that we have to play by their rules." She smiled. "Want to join me in your tactical room to look it over?"

The Lieutenant returned her smiled. "If that is all, I would love to." Of course, he knew that couples throughout history had done risky things by having sex in office buildings and restricted sections of ships, but he was far more disciplined that that. So was Ex… he hoped.

His faith in her was well placed as they entered the Tactical Room, and she slid the memory rod into a slot, downloading the file into the computer. "Okay, the Sunak have various customs and rituals when contending with those not a part of their confederation. Diplomatic procedures with potential allies or enemies tend to be on the ritualistic side, like honor battles or rite of passages. In our case, we'll focus on the ones involving potential enemies." She brought the file in question and began scrolling down, skimming each one briefly. With each one, her scowl grew slightly. Apparently, there was nothing that really fit into their particular problem.

Malcolm, who was doing the same thing, suddenly stiffened slightly as one of them caught his eye. "Wait. Go back one. I think I saw something that could help."

Ex did so, looking at it again. His eyes widened. "This is a challenge in case there is a threat to a world that hasn't threatened the Confederation," she said sadly. "The Sunak would laugh at it, saying that the spirits and humanity represent a threat to them."

"I got that feeling… but there are others in this alliance, remember. Goddesses, Jaffa… a Narnian Queen."

"… Susan the Gentle."

"We can make the case that Narnia, being connected to Earth, is in danger of being annihilated by their actions, and thus dishonors the Confederation. Susan might just be able to invoke that challenge."

Ex could almost see the wheels in Malcolm's head turning, and frowned. "Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?"

Malcolm nodded, pulling his communicator out. "I think the Queen is about to have her first deep space mission," he said.

Susan looked around as she stepped off the _Enterprise_ transporter pad, her eyes wide with surprise. Despite the half a century that she had lived, despite everything she had seen and done in that life, being on a starship was quite a new thing for her.

Archer stepped off the pad, grinning as she took in everything. He remembered the day he got his first look at his finished ship, feeling the same wonder and awe, knowing that she would be doing incredible things, and not believing that she was real. He just wished that his father had been there to see it, to witness his dream fly out of drydock for the first time.

Susan's awe was the fact that she had never been aboard a starship before. It would most likely prove to be quite the life changer for her, as if she hadn't had enough of those.

Archer smiled, gesturing around. "Welcome aboard the _Enterprise_, your Highness," he said.

"Wow," was all she said, looking at the transporter controls without actually touching them. "This, teleporting ability… can actually transfer us from the planet to your ship. But what about the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle?"

"It's not a perfect piece of tech, though it's a whole lot better than it was twenty years back," he replied. "I'm no matter engineer, but somehow, the Starfleet Corp of Engineers was able to create a Heisenberg Compensator. I think it forces every cell in our body to become still a split second before transport, allowing sensors to map them for reconstitution at the transport site."

"Well… the only way I can get to places other than Earth is through a wardrobe. And that does tend to get embarrassing if you're caught by one of the maids." She looked up again. "Is the rest of your ship as impressive as this?"

"Well, I'll have someone give you a tour of the ship later on. Right now, I can show you the briefing room, considering that's where we need to go."

Susan smiled, nodding to the transporter chief. "Already, this day is turning out to be different from what I was expecting." Her eyes lit up with childlike gleam. "I got beamed up!" she almost shouted.

Archer shook his head, his amusement shifting to exasperation. More of that _Star Trek_, no doubt.

About ten minutes later, the wonder in Susan's eyes dissipated after Malcolm and Ex told her the situation as it stood. It was very informative.

"So let me see if I get this straight," she said. "Because the Earth is threatened, you think that by association, Narnia is also in danger."

Malcolm nodded. "Pretty much."

"How are they going to attack Narnia? Only a select few can go there in the first place."

"The Sunak possess dimensional drive," Ex explained. "It would be a simple matter for them to match their shield resonance with Narnia, and slip a fleet in without much trouble."

"Except they would have to get by Aslan first," she reminded him. "He's not a tame lion, but he's also not a weak one either. He's the god of Narnia, after all."

"Their _Klasef _may be able to even the battlefield."

"Not enough."

"They may not need to try a dimensional jump," Archer stated. "If they're using some sort of advanced weapon that can destroy a whole planet, then some of that energy could transmit through your wardrobe into Narnia."

Susan scoffed. "I doubt that there is a weapon like that, even in a civilization that can travel across the galaxy and beyond."

Malcolm coughed, getting their attention. "There is one kind of radiation that can do that," he said carefully, barely stopping a shudder from running down his spine. "But it's only theoretical, and research on it is banned on Earth. No civilization in our galaxy has the capability of even creating it at this time. But… the Sunak may be able to."

"What is it?" Archer asked, a sense of foreboding filling him. Malcolm was someone who kept his emotions tightly in check. If this was something that could make him nearly lose that control…

"Thalaron."

Ex looked at him, shocked beyond measure. That was something that was completely outside the realm of rational thinking. "The Sunak wouldn't!"

"If they think the threat is big enough, they might."

"Lieutenant, what is thalaron?" Susan asked, exasperated.

Archer stepped closer, remembering that Susan wasn't from the United Earth government. "Miss Pevensie, thalaron is a type of radiation that is capable of destroying biological matter at the molecular level. It's banned on earth because of its biogenic properties. If it's weaponized, it could theoretically expand almost without limit. It could encompass a ship, a planet, even an entire solar system. If the theory is correct, there is no defense for it."

"Which means that the fleet here, with shields at full strength, are still vulnerable," Susan elaborated, a knot now forming in her gut.

Ex nodded sadly. "I'm afraid so."

The Queen's attention shifted to Archer. She had all of the information she needed, and it wasn't pretty picture it painted. "When are we leaving, again?" she asked.

"Immediately," Archer replied.

"Well, what are you waiting for? We have two worlds to save."

**

* * *

**

Pocket dimension

Linka shifted slightly, trying to ignore the strangeness of her sleeping situation.

It wasn't the bed that she lay on, though she had never slept on suck a comfortable mattress before. That was definitely different, but a pleasant kind of different. It felt good.

It wasn't her sleeping companion next to her, as he wasn't on the same pad as her. He was close though, breathing in and out as he slept, or pretended to sleep. She couldn't tell the difference at this time. His proximity was wreaking havoc on her senses.

No, what was strange, at least for her, was the fact that she was completely naked on the bed, and without a sheet covering her. Probably part of the reason as to why she was facing _away_ from her counterpart, as he was also uncovered.

She had wanted to know why they weren't getting their clothes back. The lady elf who had taken them to be cleaned told them that they weren't dry yet, and probably wouldn't be until morning. Not only that, but when the Wind Planeteer asked her for some sleeping garments, or even a sheet for that matter, she had told them rather cheerfully that everyone here slept in the nude.

Linka, who had never even _thought _of sleeping in the nude before in her life, found it to be something she wanted to get used to. Now, if only she could actually go to sleep…

Deciding that she was too wired to sleep at the moment, she slowly got off of the pad, hoping not to disturb her love. She needed some space to think, without anyone seeing her. Unfortunately, she couldn't really leave the hut, as that wouldn't be proper.

Looking out the window, she noticed how the stars were out in full force, not blocked by light pollution from distant cities. The air was cool but not too cool, which felt perfect on her skin. Smiling slightly, she focused on what else she could see.

She promptly blushed when she saw two elves presently in the middle of a rather intimate encounter. In short, the female was riding the male's member like he was a carnival ride. What made it so shocking to her was the fact that they were doing it out in the open, where anyone could see them. Which, she suspected, was the point of doing it outside. It was the thrill of getting caught, of being seen.

She wanted to turn away, leave them their privacy, but a part of her found it impossible to do just that. She found the display to be… arousing, unlike anything she had ever seen before in her life.

"I guess you've never given thought to being a voyeur before," Wheeler said from behind her, catching the young woman by surprise. "I mean, in Russia, it's not a very smart idea, considering the weather."

"You guessed right, Yankee," she replied softly, turning her gaze back to the scene happening outside while crossing her arms over her breasts. Partly because of the weather and partly because of who she was. She had lived a rather sheltered life, only dreaming of seeing the world and its wonders. But now, this was yet another part of that world that she was seeing, and she had discovered that she wasn't disgusted in the slightest. "I did not want to wake you."

"You didn't. Seriously, you didn't. I was having a hard time falling asleep myself." He grinned sheepishly. "First time I've ever had a hot naked babe sleeping right next to me... for any reason."

Linka's light blush deepened at his words, and she was inordinately pleased as well. No one had ever said anything like that before to her. And he had just given her another nugget of information. "You think… I am hot?"

"Extremely." He wanted to touch her, but didn't think it was a good idea. She had just gotten used to the idea of being in a relationship with him, and he didn't want to push her into something she wasn't ready for. "Why? You don't think so?"

"Just… not by anyone who really meant it." She sighed. "All they see is what is on the outside. They do not want to see what is on the inside. All they want is…"

"Someone with a hot pair of legs and a set of tits?"

"Accurate, if a little vulgar."

Wheeler chuckled. "Some people just want eye candy, Babushka. The woman draws more attention to them. They don't really care about brains, or whatever talents they may have." His eyes twitched, as if they wanted to roam downwards, but were resolutely staying north of the border. "That was how I was when we first met. Remember?"

"_Da_, I remember that day well." She certainly remembered thinking that he was very handsome, in a somewhat unkempt manner. She also initially thought that he was a chauvinistic capitalistic pig, but hadn't said it aloud. It had been when they had gotten their rings, after all. They had known next to nothing about one another, and he had opted not to saying anything particularly crude towards her. "First impressions have a way of defining relationships with others, do they not?"

"They do indeed. But, time has a way of changing those perspectives, don't they?"

Linka nodded, smiling. "Slowly, but they do. And we learn a few things about ourselves in the process." She gestured out the window. "For starters, I did not think that I would be a closet voyeur."

"And an exhibitionist? I mean, we _are_ standing in front of a window, completely naked."

"That too. I am surprised that I did not move away from the window immediately."

"How does it feel?"

Linka frowned thoughtfully for a moment, analyzing the situation for a moment. "I… like it," she finally said. "It is… different… new."

Wheeler nodded, though her back was still to him. He knew that she was thinking, even though she had yet to turn around. She was an intelligent young woman. "Anything else? Don't think about it. Just feel it." He smiled as he moved in a little closer, gently placing a hand on her shoulder, and nothing else. "Listen to your body," he whispered. "Listen to what it's telling you."

It was a simple request, and she decided to follow it. So, she did something she wasn't accustomed to; she stopped thinking, letting herself simply feel. As she did, she became aware of a few things. The wind blowing lightly through the window against her skin was far more erotic now than it was a few minutes ago. Despite only his hand being on her shoulder, the heat of it sent very pleasant tingles shooting through her body. "It is… very arousing," she murmured, a small smile of her own emerging.

"Have you ever… simply just let yourself go?" he asked, placing his other hand on her shoulder. "Let yourself live in the immediate moment, and go wherever it takes you?"

Her hands slid over to her breasts, slowly stroking them as his words flowed over her. Her gaze never moved from the couple outside as they continued their little tryst. "_Nyet_."

"Why?"

"… It keeps me safe."

"It did… but life isn't worth living without some risk. Loving someone is a great risk, but it's also a great reward." Wheeler rubbed her shoulders as he stepped closer. "Of course, that's just Mom talking," he added. "Usually, she's right."

Linka felt Wheeler's arousal pressing against her backside, but she didn't shy away from it. After all, she was watching another couple having sex while stroking her own perky breasts. She was starting to accept what was going on.

Suddenly, she turned around so she faced him, her breath coming out in gasps. She looked up into his eyes, saw the desire burning in them, and blushed even further. "Wheeler…" she whispered, not looking away.

Wheeler didn't move either, didn't do anything. He just watched her, even though it was obvious that he wanted to do more… a whole lot more. "What do you want?" he asked quietly.

"… You."

Now he did something. He dragged her to him, and kissed her fiercely. She returned its intensity as their hands began roaming over each other's bodies. Soon, his mouth slid down south to her neck, nipping the soft skin softly. He hoisted her up, ready to take her back to the bed.

"No… right here," Linka gasped. "Right here at the door. I want them to see."

"Okay." Somewhat surprised, he set her down on the surprisingly strong window sill, and quickly started down her body. There was a time for teasing and savoring, and this wasn't it. And despite the fact that they were both virgins, he had read quite a bit about sex on the Internet. He knew what to do.

He just didn't think that it was possible for Linka, who had always been epitome of discipline, to have such a wild cat trapped within. He liked it.

Linka gasped as his tongue delved into her hot core, body sitting up from the pleasure as he pleasured her. But after only a few minutes of it, she dragged him up, kissing him hard. Her little hands wrapped around him as she tasted herself on his lips, stroking him gently, giggling when he jerked in surprise. "You are not the only one who has read up on this," she whispered, smirking, before hopping off the sill, kneeling down.

Wheeler gasped as her warm mouth slid down his length, hips jerking powerfully. If he died within the next few days, he was going to die a happy man. _'For someone who's never done this before, she's pretty good,'_ he thought hazily, fisting his hands in her hair.

It finally became too much when she chuckled. Hauling her up, he claimed her mouth before turning her around so she was facing the window, thrusting into her from behind. The brief moment of pain was quickly supplanted by the pleasure they were both feeling. She began to roll her hips in earnest, while his hands captured her firm breasts, massaging them.

To both of their surprise, they were able to hold off quite a while. They had both been ready to pop almost immediately, having imagined this for quite some time. It was made even more potent by their proximity in that little cottage.

But finally, it became too much for them both. Linka threw her head back, a rather primal cry erupting from her throat as her muscles clenched, then released in an explosion of pleasure. Her sheathe clenched, trying to draw him into her deeply. He obliged, his climax filling her with his essence.

Something powerful grew within them both, as their souls touched through this one single act. A bond being formed that transcended the physical and the emotional. It wasn't a soul bond per se, but it was pretty close.

Wheeler felt her suddenly lean against him, breathing heavily from what she had just experienced. Her muscles were still clenching as shockwaves moved through her body. He cradled her as they both came down from their high. For a while, neither one of them moved.

But finally, Wheeler finally managed to get them both up, and looked out of the tent. A small smile appeared on his face. "I think our audience appreciated it," he said.

Linka turned her head slightly, catching sight of the couple she had been watching only minutes before. They both nodded to her, still smiling, before heading back towards their home. She turned her attention back to Wheeler, smirking. "Perhaps we should get back to our own bed?" she suggested.

Wheeler grinned widely. "I was thinking the same thing," he said, picking her up.

**

* * *

**

Mexico

Gi looked outside the Geo Cruiser's window, taking in the sight of the old Aztec Temple they were going to be using as their base of operations, sighing. She rubbed her eyes slowly, trying to get the grit out of them.

Kwame looked at her for a moment before returning to his flying, somewhat concerned. The last week had pretty much been one emergency after another, none of them had gotten much sleep as a result, and it was starting to take its toll. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Fortunately, or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it, lack of sleep wasn't the reason for her somewhat gloomy mood, as he was about to discover. "All of the places we have to set up for our final stand, and we have to do it at an archeological site," she grumbled irritably. "I mean, hundreds of people died in this place in the past, sacrificed to their gods, and we're going to desecrate it with even more bloodshed. How far the human race has come since those days, huh?"

He nodded in understanding at that. Despite everything that had happened, the two World Wars that had almost decimated the economic base of Europe, the Cold War, mankind wasn't going to say no to bloodshed until it had warred itself to the brink of extinction, it seemed. Perhaps this was the day that it finally happened.

His gaze shifted to the ground, where shuttles and helicopters were busy landing and off loading their supplies and personnel, and rubbed his eyes. "Do we even know when the army is going to get here?" he asked. "If it is not for the rest of the day, I think you and I should get a nap in. Otherwise, we will be of no use to anyone out there." That was the truth. The adrenaline rush from the war with Galaxia had worn off several hours ago. Now they were operating on fumes and caffeine. What was worse, Shayera had been forced to leave almost as quickly as she had come, meaning other realms were also suffering from attacks. How could they stop an enemy with the ability to get to other realms, when they were having a hard time protecting their own?

Gi seemed to be having similar thoughts as she reached out, squeezing his arm in reassurance. "We'll stop them somehow," she said. "I mean, if a bunch of teenagers can turn back the core of the Deadly Alliance, we can handle one of their weaker members." She grinned. "Besides, Wheeler and Linka will be back soon, and when they get here, they're going to break Sakar over their knee."

Now that, both of them believed with all of their hearts, simply because Wheeler and Linka were two of the most stubborn and most formidable people they had ever had the honor to call friends. They could do the impossible. They _would_ do the impossible.

It wasn't destiny. It was simple fact.

Katie could hear them talking quietly in the front seats, and shook her head, knowing that they were secretly trying to figure out how to stop the Agents when they finally clashed at that temple. They believed they could do it, they just didn't know how. And that was all.

She knew better, of course. Sakar's hatred burned brighter than their commitment, and he had passed a fraction of it to his lead Agent. Even after defeating the army, they would still have to contend with the Death Dealer himself, which would be impossible for them, now that he had Neverland's power flowing through his body. Their only chance was if her brother and Linka managed to complete their Trials. Only they had the will to match Sakar at his worst. And hopefully, the power to match it.

She looked out the window as their destination loomed closer, feeling a shudder move through her frame. There, among the ghost of those the Aztec sacrificed during their reign, they would be forced to fight something equally destructive. If they were successful, they stood a chance of stemming the tide for a few more days. If not… Fire and Wind were going to come back too late to any good to anyone. Hard to believe that destiny required a great deal from others in order for prophecies to come true.

'_Wheeler, don't fail us now, big brother,'_ she thought, sending out a silent prayer to Heaven and all of its angels. _'We need you to succeed! And please hurry!'_

Because she really didn't want to see what happened if they failed.

Ma-Ti and Laura could feel Katie's distress, and knew what it was about. They were having many of the same thoughts, and they were sure Kwame and Gi were as well. Who wouldn't, in this case?

Wheeler was as much their brother as he was hers. They had so many adventures together, braved so much peril, that they had become family. They would die for one another, while fervently hoping that the others wouldn't do so.

Now they were waiting for one of their own to complete what was most likely a very trying and dangerous trial, with the very real possibility of death. It was an all or nothing shot, possibly the biggest one in history.

'_Ma-Ti, do you think they can do it?'_ Laura asked.

Ma-Ti didn't even think about it. _'Wheeler and Linka have been known to pull off incredible feats,'_ he replied confidently. _'I have no doubt that they will do so again. They just have that… blend of power, finesse, skill and luck going for them.'_

'_That isn't really what I asked. This is something beyond anything any of us have faced before. They're quite literally way in over their heads. It doesn't matter if they suddenly got a power boost.'_

'_Too true. But I have faith in them. It may be all I have, but where they are concerned, that is enough.'_

Laura nodded, understanding. Ma-Ti did know the two of them better than she did. She hadn't had a whole lot of time to bond with them, considering everything that had happened.

Her gaze shifted to the window, where she caught sight of their destination growing closer. "Well, here we go," she whispered out loud. "Are we really ready for this?"

"Probably not," Katie replied. "But what choice do we have?"

That was sadly all too true. They weren't ready for this, but there was no choice.

No choice at all.

**

* * *

**

Space

The _Enterprise_ slowly made its way past the Asgard warships _Valiant_ and _Mjollnir_, getting a little distance between them and the fleet, before Archer gave the order.

He was still short one member of his senior staff, as his communication officer would remain on Earth to help with their new communication system, but he now had Trip and T-Pol back onboard, and he knew that whatever he needed done, they could do it, and so much more. And he knew that the fleet would be ready, with or without them there.

Under normal circumstances, as Cochrane postulated, going to warp while still within a solar system is rather risky. The warp energy being shot out of the warp nacelles had the potential to disrupt the natural gravitational pull of the sun, and any planet nearby. They also had to avoid any celestial bodies that could possibly prove to be a hazard to them. However, in a situation where every second counted, they had to take the risk.

The _NX_ class ship quickly shot to Warp One shooting in the general direction of the Sunak fleet, hoping to halt a rather horrific fate for the human race. If the Sunak were willing to talk, that is.

Unaware of the small ship that quickly followed in their wake.

* * *

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years. I will probably be adding to this chapter after the holiday season, but here it is. Please read and review.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

"_Enterprise_ _has just left Earth orbit_," Gr'sr clicked from Tactical, somewhat concerned. "_Their general heading will take them to our position._"

Sheeyal nodded, her gaze narrowing in confusion. What the hell was Captain Archer thinking, leaving the safety of the fleet? Could it be that new vessel that suddenly appeared out of nowhere? "When will they be in communications range?" she asked, keeping her emotions and question tightly under control.

"_Within two hours._"

The First Officer was understandably intrigued by this change in tactics, and was concerned as to why. With the Asgard in orbit of Earth, they had sufficient forces to successfully defend their little planet. Why would they come for them now? And alone, no less? Something was up, and she had no idea what it was.

"Keep monitoring their progress," she ordered, before rising. She needed to inform Karken of this new development.

0

Bre-Tac and Zephyer stood before Admiral Dardos, the officer that Karken himself had to answer to before any attack was to be initiated. Hell itself would have to wait if he didn't give the order.

The Jaffa Master had given him the offer from the Earth, and now was waiting for him to finish mulling it over. It was taking a long time, but they couldn't hurry it. After all, no one reached the rank of Fleet Admiral by making rash decisions.

Dardos was a Reman, a species that evolved from the reptiles of Geomas II, and were one of the few species in the Confederation that still had a home world. Their ability to re-grow limbs that had been lost was well known, as were their warlike tendencies. Such aggressive emotions were now kept at bay by utilizing Telazian meditations, and they had given rise to some of the best tacticians and scientists of the Confederation.

And here was one of the few to reach the highest seat in their fleet.

"You make a compelling argument, Masssssster Bre-Tac," he said at long length, his long forked tongue slipping out. "Thisssss new information will be carefully consssidered by the Sssssenate. Assssss for the invasssssion, however… we have only your word, and the word of a lieutenant that hasssss admitted to being in a Spirit's pressssenccccccce. Even if I tell my men, they may not believe me."

"I understand, Fleet Admiral," Bre-Tac replied, having expected as much. "However, I have no way to verify that we are sincere, especially considering what we know of Zarm's own actions on other worlds. However, Sakar is such a threat that even he has joined in the war against him. If the Sunak were to aide the Tauri in that fight, instead of launching an attack that would potentially destroy all life on the planet, there is a very good chance that all would prosper."

"Sir, the fact that there are two young humans on a journey to fulfill their destiny as Guardians lends a great deal of weight to the argument," Zephyer added. "If we destroy Earth, we will weaken the barrier that protects the Guardian's home city, and we will incur their wrath all at once. Can we afford to do that, especially considering their abilities?"

"Your point hassssss been made, Lieutenant." Dardos leaned forward. "I will bring this up with the ship commanderssssss, and put it to a vote. The Ssssssenate will alssssssso be informed, sssssso they can have their sssssssay. In the meantime, I will have quarterssssss asssssssigned to you, aboard the _Sssssssscimitar_, Master Bre-Tac, as you are a guessssssst of the Confederation."

Bre-Tac nodded. "Thank you for your hospitality," he said, before he and Zephyer left the bridge. "Well, that was not as difficult as I thought it would be," he told Zephyer, a little surprised.

"Too easy," Zephyer replied quietly, frowning. "No Reman is that accommodating, no matter what his rank, or the evidence that he's presented with. He's hiding something."

"Yes, but what?"

"That is for us to find out."

0

Dardos watched them as they exited the bridge, his gaze hardening with each footstep. Getting up, he made his way to his ready room.

Once he was inside, he locked the doors, dimmed the lights, then knelt in the middle of the room. And… he waited.

A dark figure appeared in front of him, the darkness hiding his features from the admiral, but that didn't bother him any. He didn't need to see him, after all.

"They did assss you foresssaw, My Lord," he reported. "They are cowardsssss, trying to avoid their inevitable fate."

The figure nodded. "Of course," he replied, his head drooping slightly in thought. "But be mindful, Admiral. Humans have a tendency to challenge even the verdicts of Heaven if they do not agree with it. They will send reinforcements to assist them. Expect at least one starship to arrive."

"Of coursssse, my Lord. But… what if the Sssssenate supports them? Shall I disssssssobey the Praetor? Kill him?"

"If you must. The attack on Earth must proceed as planned. Nothing can stop it. Now, go and make a case for your people. I shall ensure that the Pantheon can do nothing to aide them."

Dardos nodded once more. "By your will, my Masssster."

* * *

**Pocket Universe**

As they dressed, Wheeler and Linka decided to not tell anyone about their little act last night when they got home. In fact, never to tell anyone… ever.

Not that they were embarrassed, of course. What they did had been perfectly natural, and both had wanted it. They had even found the added aspect of someone watching them do it to be exciting.

They weren't going to tell anyone because it simply wasn't any of their business.

Once clothed, the two Planeteers made their way to the Elder's tent, to learn more about Wheeler's ancestors, and possibly a clue as to where to start looking. The morning breeze was very nice on their faces, which was definitely gong to change within the next few hours.

Linka kept her beloved's hand clasped tightly in hers, as if afraid that if she let go, he would disappear. That last night had been a dream, and nothing else. Or even worse, Wheeler was having doubts concerning them as a couple. Maybe she did something wrong last night.

Wheeler sensed her worry, and smiled, squeezing her hand reassuringly. "It's going to be alright, Linka," he said quietly. "I'm not going anywhere. Not for a good, long while. And you were great in every single way."

She relaxed at his reassurances, and simply enjoyed their little stroll to the main hut. It was good to know that he didn't have any regrets concerning what they did. She didn't either. It was everything she had been hoping for, and more. And she hadn't wanted it to end.

Now they sat across from the Elder, eating a rather impressive breakfast of fruits and breads as their host told them their story. And what a story it was! It was completely out of this world, and completely true.

As it turned out, the Camelot in question that their ancestors had come from was that of an alternate Earth. Their story was kept and modified so that no one would ever know, and they set up in this universe's Camelot. The hope was that they would be able to live out their lives in peace, without evil plaguing them. Unfortunately, that was not to be the case.

Sakar, upon learning of the Prophecy of Fire and Wind during his failed first attack on Earth, had sought them out immediately, intent on destroying this destiny before it could even begin. And, as they both already knew, that resulted in a war that wouldn't really cease for a thousand years, thanks to the Merlin of another Earth. All stuff that the two Planeteers already knew through Gaia, though the alternate part was new to the both. It certainly meant that the bloodline was much older than they thought.

It also meant that there was a chance they could complete the trial before he returned to finish the job. How much of one was up for debate.

"Do you know in which direction we are supposed to go?" Linka asked after the story was over. "Is there a mark of some kind, or will something appear when we reach the spot?"

"There is a lone mountain within a day's journey of here," the Elder replied, taking a sip of water. "Tis known to be treacherous to those who have gone to it. Terrors exist that thee cannot defeat with weapons or riddles."

"But they can be defeated," Wheeler supplied.

"… They can be defeated, but only if you have absolute, unshakable faith in yourself and in your companion. Otherwise, thou are doomed to fail."

Linka shuddered as she imagined all of the horrible fates that might befall them if they failed. None of them were appealing, and she didn't want to experience any of them if she could help it. More importantly, she didn't want Wheeler to have to experience them, either.

Wheeler stood up, his own mind made up. "We're going to have to set out immediately," he stated. "If that mountain is still there, then that is where our trial will be. And it's not as if we've got a lot of choices."

"Of course." It didn't make her feel any better, but she knew that was the truth. They didn't have a whole lot of options, and those they did have were not good to begin with. The mountain was their best bet.

She frowned as she thought of something, of a pattern. Each obstacle they had come across had been tied to something specific in their friend's lives. In T-Pol's case, the puzzle they had been forced to work on had been a part of her past, something that she had absolutely loathed. In Commander Tucker's case, he had to deal with his feelings concerning the Xindi, and what they had taken from him. Difficult, but not insurmountable.

Their test will probably be even more difficult than that. After all, they were supposed to be learning to become Guardians, all powerful warriors of justice. It would be far more than brains and brawn that would be tested. Their ethical, moral, and psychological aspects would most likely be brought under the proverbial microscope as well. She didn't think either of them could do it alone.

'_But, what other choice do we have?'_ she asked herself. _'If we do not even give it a chance, then Sakar will definitely win. And we cannot let that happen!'_ She looked down at her ring, at all of the Planeteers before her who had worn it proudly. _'We will not fail!'_ She refused to fail! It was not an option that either would even consider as possible.

And, without even knowing it, they had already passed the first part of their trial.

0

Blight's monster scurried across the desert plain, its nose catching the scent of its prey in the dry, still air. It could almost smell the power, the energy that crackled off both of them. Ah, to feast on them would be a great pleasure. It could almost taste their flesh on his tongue.

The nefarious scientist had personally overseen every stage of this creation's development, all the way down to what she wanted it to look like. To another's eyes, it would have been labeled an abomination in genetic engineering, and they would be right in every sense. This was a creature that had no right existing, as it would kill man as readily as it would kill animals.

But Blight had done far more than created the perfect killing machine. She had improved its durability and power to more than forty two percent of a tiger's natural strength, and gave it a rudimentary level of intelligence. Under ordinary circumstances, she would have simply made run out of control, destroying everything that got in its way before it was finally stopped, and laughed at the devastation.

But she needed it focused on Fire and Wind. She had to destroy them before Sakar returned. Otherwise, the only chance they had at defeating them would be in hand to hand combat, and she was pretty sure that they would be more than equal to the task in terms of power.

So it continued on, focusing on its most delectable prey, ready to strike the moment it reached them. It would do what it was created to do.

It had no other alternative.

* * *

**Deep Space**

It amazed Susan how quickly she had gotten used to space travel.

For the first hour and a half of their journey, she had done nothing but watch out the window as the stars blew past them at warp speed, even though she knew intellectually that all she was seeing was the image of the stars, not the actual stars themselves. It was still incredible to see.

But, after that one and a half hours, she had found the ship to be far more interesting. It was like looking into humanity's future, walking through it. And, in a sense, it was.

She was well aware of Yggdrasil's Starship Program, a wish made by an optimistic young woman, one that she hoped would lead to the betterment of mankind. To have that kind of dream… not unheard of, but it was one that she didn't think anyone would see in their lifetimes.

But this… it was just proof that humanity was inevitably destined to journey to the stars, and beyond. Of course, so was the Stargate program, but that was a whole different way of doing it. It was one thing to journey to a planet by stepping through a wormhole. It was quite another to see it from space.

But here she was, in Sickbay, looking at some of Doctor Phlox's more exotic pets, and thinking that he had what amounted to the Twenty Second Century version of leeches, despite what he had told her about their many properties.

"I would imagine Narnia's medical knowledge is somewhat… limited in that respect," Phlox said.

"You would be surprised," Susan replied, standing up. "Aside from my sister's little cordial of instant heal, my people are quite capable of performing surgery that was on par with the 1940's."

The Denoblian frowned as he continued feeding his pets. He had caught the tail end of that statement, and he was confused. "You keep saying, 'my people.' I know you ruled over them for a time, but I do seem to recall that you spent most of your life on Earth. You were born, raised and nurtured in England. You went to school here. Earth was very much your home."

Susan nodded. "That's all true. But sometimes, where we live, and what we call home are two entirely different things." Moving away from the creatures, she sat down on one of the beds, thinking back to the days when she had a shred of innocence left in her soul. "Even what I was young, I felt out of place in London. I didn't really have any friends, I was always at odds with my own siblings, and I was feeling pressure from my mother and the social expectations of the time. Then the second Great War began, and the problems intensified tenfold. Peter was insecure of his power, Lucy was a daydreamer, and Edmund couldn't follow orders. And I was… well, I was trying to be helpful, but ended up acting like a Miss Know It All."

"And then you went to Narnia through that wardrobe."

"And promptly felt like I had found my home. Of course, we had to fight a witch for control, and I had to watch Aslan get stabbed, but in the end, it turned out to be worth it." She smiled at some of the memories. "It wasn't all bed and roses. We had a lot of decisions to make, and I… suffered some all too human tragedies along the way, Rabadash included. And, for the record, he didn't just try and have his way with me. He succeeded. But, in the end, I found a place where I felt I truly belonged. Like I had finally come _home_." Her smile faded. "And then I was torn from my home. Sent back to the world of my birth because there was a good chance I would be needed again in the far future. He was right. After a year of trying to live in the world of my birth, after a whole life of living in Narnia, we returned to help Caspian claim the throne." She sighed. "For me it would the last time I would ever feel peace."

Phlox sat down, watching her carefully. It was obvious that there were things that she wasn't telling him, things that transcended what he had read. "I'm going to assume that you and Aslan are not on good speaking terms," he assumed, wondering how that was even possible. In the books, he never spoke to them on Earth.

"Professionally… we are very much speaking to one another." She sighed, this time with a little more bitterness. "Personally… no. But that wasn't for lack of trying on either of our parts. I wasn't too happy with his decision to send us back the second time, and I let him know it. We had words, words that we both regret very much now. Most of my family was killed in that train wreck, and he brought them back to Narnia at the last moment. All for the love of a young woman who would never forgive him." Standing once again, she started walking around the room, looking at the surgical table. "I hid myself behind lipstick and flirty behavior for a time before then, trying to cope with the loss of everything I held dear. After a while… I got tired of that. I joined the army and became a nurse, but Korea happened, and I was thrown into prison. I managed to escape, then threw myself into humanitarian aide across Asia. After a while… the amount of suffering I saw became too much to bear."

"So… what did you do?"

Her gaze shifted to him. "I grew depressed, and spent the better part of the Seventies in Tibet, deep in the mountains."

"Oh."

"It was in my final year in isolation that I came across my first inner-dimensional portal. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it led to True Narnia. After a serious situation where I helped another, I came back, realizing that I had a new mission. A mission even Aslan had never guessed I would have. Then, in 1982, I founded my company, and started up my little task force. I've traveled the planet ever since, studying every portal that has been located, and sealing them if they poised a threat to my home and my people." Her gaze shifted towards some point on the wall above Phlox's computer terminal. "But if what Captain Archer says is true, the Sunak's war on Earth may prove equally devastating to Narnia, and I've worked too long and too hard, just to see either world destroyed because of one civilization's desire for revenge."

"Well, we should be there within the next hour or so. Perhaps it is time for you to prepare for the coming challenge." He thought for a moment. "At the same time, maybe you should decide whether or not holding a grudge against Aslan is really worth it. Because it seems to me that both of you have much in common."

"We're both stubborn."

"Yes… and you both want to say you're sorry, but don't know how."

It was that last statement that, as Susan walked out of sickbay to meet with Ex, she realized would haunt her for a very long time.

0

Archer felt that _Enterprise_ was still somewhat off kilter.

He knew why he felt this way, of course. Though he had his Chief Engineer and Science Officer back, and he was really grateful for that, he was still missing Hoshi. And despite the fact that her replacement, Ensign Sanchez was very competent, despite the fact that he knew her talents were of better use back on Earth, he still felt incomplete.

Perhaps it was because Hoshi was his friend, had been by his side since they left spacedock on their mission, or it was probably because of her relationship with Captain Anderson. He probably would never know. But there it was; that sensation of emptiness.

Forcibly taking his mind off of his one missing crew member, he focused his attention back on the here and now. "Travis?" he asked. Nothing more needed to be said.

"We'll be in range of their defense perimeter in about an hour," Mayweather reported almost immediately.

"It's a safe bet that the _Crusher_ has picked us up on their long range scanners," Ex stated at Tactical, where she and Malcolm were pouring over everything they could concerning the Sunak battle cruiser they fought against. Maybe that was the source of his unease; the fact that Hoshi wasn't here and this woman was.

"You would be correct, Ex," T-Pol stated from her science station. "We just past by their first line about five minutes ago."

Archer turned around. "Why didn't you say anything?" he asked.

"Because I didn't know we had until about twenty seconds ago," was the calm reply, so like the T-Pol of old. "We passed by a small asteroid about five minutes ago. At first, I thought it was just a piece of natural debris, like what you usually find traveling through space. It had all of the usual elements one would associate with such a celestial body, so I almost passed it by. I had discovered a small irregularity, but that is also common. I was curious about it, so I ran several scans over it."

He nodded, smiling a little. She was a scientist, through and through. She was always searching for answers, even when she didn't need to. "What did you discover?"

"It's artificial. Every single molecule of the asteroid was grown from some sort of crystal. I think their entire sensor system is created in this manner, and spread out in a seemingly random pattern, in order to protect them from attack."

"And since they have all of the same elements as natural rock, they would be virtually undetectable by sensors," Malcolm added. "That's what gives them the advantage."

"Exactly. Not only that, they probably used them to keep an eye on enemy fleets by literally having them drift by."

The captain had to admit, it was ingenious. Passive surveillance without any of the risks of detection, and with a high success rate. If T-Pol hadn't been curious, they never would have learned of this. Not for the first time since she was assigned to his ship, he was thankful for the vulcan's inherent need to study. "Good work, T-Pol."

T-Pol smiled, which came far easier for her now. She had had plenty of practice over the last two weeks, and she found that she liked it. "I try, Captain."

He shifted towards Communications. "Ensign, send word back to the fleet. Let them know that the Sunak have been utilizing artificial asteroids to possibly spy on us. Have them begin scanning every small body that floats by for irregularities."

"Aye, Sir." He was no Hoshi, but he was still efficient. He knew the console as well as any of them. Within mere moments, the message had been sent directly to _Voyager_, whose communication system operated on the same frequency. "Message sent and received."

Archer sat back down in his seat, sighing, once again thinking about how _Enterprise_ still felt incomplete. He could not wait to get Hoshi back. He really hated feeling off kilter.

0

Archer wasn't the only one who was uncomfortable. He would have been happy to know that Ex felt the same way, though for almost completely different reasons.

The Goddess was accustomed to open, architectural marvels that made up Heaven and its operational systems. The open, breezy hallways, the paintings that helped bring peace and joy to their workplace, and the lyrical harp sounds of their consoles as they strummed them in concert, ensuring the continued stability of the Earth, and the universe in whole.

This was a far less colorful environment, one filled with monotone colors. The consoles beeped with a decidedly subdued, mechanical feel. Soothing, but with no grace. No symmetry. And the ship itself was compact, almost claustrophobically so, like she was in a sardine can. The lighting was somewhat lower as well, considering the amount of power needed to move the ship.

Then there was the emotional side to it. She was a stranger among eighty five men and women, all brought together by triumph and tragedy. They were explorers of the highest caliber, a possible future for the race of humans. And she was an intruder among them.

On the other hand, all of this was exciting to her. She had only seen the universe as data, lines, and through Yggdrasil's system as images. To actually be in it, to see the wonders up close and personal… it was an incredible experience.

Tamping down on her conflicted emotions, she focused on the screen before her, learning everything she could about the ship's functions, just in case something went wrong. She would let the rush of it, the sheer joy of exploration go through her at another time. Right now, they had a mission to complete.

Malcolm sitting right next to her had the added effect of relaxing her a little so she could focus on her studies. And, as she was studying what button did what function, he was studying everything he could on the Sunak and the protocols of challenge. They were both trying to prepare themselves for any and every contingency.

"Do you think that Susan will be able to do this?" Malcolm asked, not really doubting over anything. "I mean, there's really nothing stopping the Sunak from attacking, no matter what the outcome is."

"Hopefully, their honor," Ex replied quietly and honestly. "The Sunak hold honor above all else, even their own lives. And they view any break of that honor as an offense punishable with death." She shrugged. "Then again, they may hate spirits enough that honor doesn't even apply. We won't know until after the battle."

"Huh. You certainly know to put a positive spin on things, don't you?"

She shrugged again. "I call it like I see it. Kind of like you."

"Fair enough." He frowned a little. "I don't suppose that you would join me for dinner. If we manage to survive the next few days, that is."

"… Sure, after I talk to Susan concerning the finer points of Sunak challenges. If nothing else, we'll get to know one another a little better." And it did sound like a good idea. Considering the fact that a whole lot of details had been exposed over the last week, she decided that one little dinner with a mortal wouldn't hurt any. Besides, she was attracted to Malcolm, and she didn't really know why.

Probably was the accent.

* * *

**Pocket universe**

"Remind me again why they decided to send their finest warriors with us?" Wheeler asked Linka quietly, observing their stoic guards for a moment.

"I honestly do not know," Linka whispered, which was the same answer she had given him about fifteen minutes ago. "but I recognize the man from the night before. You know, the one who decided to…."

He got it easily enough. "Thank you. Nice to know that he's here." If he had told them about what happened last night, and that was a distinct possibility, he really didn't want to know why these guys were hoping to see.

But that was something they could deal with if it came to a head. Their primary concern was their trial, and getting through it safely. That was it.

"It is a day's journey from here to the mountain," the head of their two elf honor guard stated, a good man named Elric. "The path is clear of peril, but the mountain itself has many hidden dangers beyond the physical."

"Our minds, hearts and souls are the target," Wheeler summarized, taking a drink of water. He understood why that was, of course. Defeating an entity in a physical battle… well, it depended on certain factors, like experience, speed, strength, and intelligence. Stuff you could measure. But the human heart… its soul, those couldn't be measured by any instrument. And there was no way to know how much stress a specific mind could take before it finally snapped.

Linka wasn't sure what she thought of that. They were facing extinction by a madman of a spirit, and they had to face other dangers before then? She understood the need to see if they were worthy, but really. Couldn't it have waited until after Armageddon was prevented?

"Linka, I can almost hear what you're thinking," Wheeler told her teasingly, catching sight of her furrowed brow. "And if you have to ask that question, you already know the answer to it."

"_Da_, that I do," she replied, squeezing his hand affectionately. "I do not have to like it, though."

"Tis a strange way of doing things," Elric mused thoughtfully. "But if thou is to grow, thou must have challenges."

"Besides, under normal circumstances, thou would not have a great enemy to defeat afterwards," the Voyeur, as they had decided to call him, informed them. "But Fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing. Thou must take what thou gets."

"Don't I know it?" Wheeler grumbled. "How much longer until we reach the mountain?"

"About… five hours."

"Days are shorter here by at least six hours. We won't reach the mountain until well after nightfall."

The lead guard nodded. "And entering the mountain at night is dangerous. Most of the creature's are night prowlers, and no fire remains lit whist within its confines, save for your ring."

Linka nodded. "So we wait until morning to go in, because I get the feeling that there are holes within the mountain that allow sun light to enter."

"Thou are indeed correct."

"Well, that is great news."

"And it's going to get better," Wheeler stated sarcastically, looking up, eyes squinting. "I can see it from here, and it's on the same range of Mount Everest."

Now that he had mentioned it, Linka could also see it as well, and she paled. While she had no problems with mountain climbing, she did have problems with not being able to breathe properly. And at those heights, breathing properly was going to be a major issue. "This test is starting to become more trouble than it is worth," she grumbled to herself. "Why could we not have something in a simple cave?"

Wheeler hugged her close. "You take what you get, babushka," he reminded her. "And we don't have a choice."

"I know, I know. …I just do not have to like it."

* * *

**The Scimitar**

Bre-tac had to admit one thing; the Sunak did know how to make a decent set of quarters.

The guest quarters on the_ Scimitar_ were developed to be both functional and aesthetically pleasing for any number of alien dignitaries that visited. The result; not horribly appealing, but also not horribly repulsive to all concerned. And each living area could be changed for specific purposes.

He sat down in a chair, observing the doors. He had no doubt that his escort had security guards placed at them, preventing him from leaving… for his protection, no doubt.

He snorted a little in derision at the thought. Despite his age at 138, he was still more than capable of defending himself against all comers. To be treated like he was an invalid would have been beyond insulting.

But, of course, that wasn't the reason for them. In fact, he had the feeling that it was to keep him under control, to ensure that he didn't speak to any of the crew. He had the feeling that the good admiral wasn't as open minded as he originally assumed. He may even be planning to attack Earth, even if his government decided to halt the invasion.

Their most powerful military commander was probably working for the Death Dealer, or the Death Dealer's allies. Neither option was good in his opinion. It meant that his mission had failed before it had even begun.

Deciding not to worry about it until he actually spoke to the admiral again, if he spoke to him again, the Jaffa warrior began observing the room, observing it as a prisoner would a cell. And it was a cell, no matter how nice it looked. He needed to see if there was a weakness.

Within ten minutes, he had located six such weaknesses, but he had also discovered four security devices hidden around the room. He now had proof that the good admiral had no intention of hearing them out. Not surprising, but disappointing. He had expected better from a soldier of the Confederation.

Deciding to see if he could learn anything he could of Dardos, Bre-tac moved towards the computer terminal in the room, hoping that it hadn't been shut off. He had no desire for classified secrets, just a general biography.

Observing the terminal for a moment, he asked, "Computer, can you change the console so that it reads in Goa- Earth latin?"

"_Affirmative,"_ the computer droned in a male voice, before the Sunak language became something he was more familiar with. Most impressive.

"Thank you. Now, can you please show me Admiral Dardos' profile?"

The screen immediately showed him the profile of the Admiral, and he began reading it intently.

0

Zephyer sat patiently in the quarters assigned to him, meditating. At least, that was what he was supposed to do.

Telazians used meditation as a means to prepare themselves for political disputes, since they really are a passionate race. The meditation brought those passions down to an acceptable matter, allowing them to handle delegates without reaching for their weapons. They had to, in order to world within the Confederation.

Today though, he was only going through the motions. He wasn't meditating. He was thinking about the meeting with Admiral Dardos.

On the surface, nothing was wrong. The admiral was just as reasonable as anyone who had reached his rank and position. He had listened, and had agreed to bring their concerns to the Senate. If that wasn't someone who kept their mind open to the possibility to change, that what they had been taught for more than two thousand years could most likely be wrong. That not every spirit was like Sakar.

But he had sensed something under the Reman's calm exterior, seen something shift in his reptilian eyes. A darker, slightly more bloodthirsty outlook towards life that he had carefully kept hidden from those around him. And the crew… it felt like he and Master Bre-tac had walked into the middle of a hunting pack, and they were the prey. Every last one of them had observed them with barely contained indignation, like they didn't believe the words that were coming out of their mouths. And it was entirely possible that they didn't. And if the soldiers didn't believe, what hope did they have to convince the Senate and the Praetor, the people responsible for making the decisions?

Finally rising to a standing position, the Lieutenant understood that he would need help. He and Bre-tac should never have come alone. They should have brought _Enterprise _with them, in case they needed to get away. But perhaps he could get a message out to another ship. One a whole lot closer to them.

He turned his attention towards the computer terminal… and dismissed it. Every communication coming from in and out of the ship through their systems would be tagged, tracked, then duplicated. The Fleet Admiral would know what he was doing long before he had finished his transmission, and have him executed on the spot.

Fortunately, he had a way to speak with his commanding officer, who the Praetor had assigned him to. As the Praetor's eyes, during times of great peril, he had authority equal to Karken, as well as a slew of devices that the crew didn't know about. It was time to use them.

From under his sleeve, a small device emerged; a hand communicator with equal strength to the communication array onboard the _Scimitar_, and untraceable to boot. The Commander had the other one on his person, just in case.

The communicator wasn't used to speak with another person, of course. Its sophistication merely allowed the user in question to send a brief, powerful data stream across several light years, if necessary. Within the space of a few seconds, Karken would have his marching orders.

Zephyer leaned in slightly, clasping his hands together and bringing them up to his face, in one of the more common Telazian meditative poses. "Karken, this is Zephyer," he whispered quietly. "I believe Admiral Dardos is hiding something. Find out what it is, and if necessary, stop him. That is all." Thumbing it off, he pressed the sides of the device, transmitting his message to the _Crusher_. The communicator was stashed back within his sleeve, sealed within the fabric so that it couldn't be found if he was ever searched.

The transmission, now in the form of a not-quite gamma burst, would reconstitute itself once within range of its destination, but it no sensor would be able to pick it up the difference until then.

His duty now complete, the Lieutenant returned to his thinking. It was a dangerous ploy, to be sure, but he needed to be ready, in case an assassination attempt was made on his and Bre-tac's lives before then.

Or on the Senate, for that matter.

Karken looked up as Sheeyal finished her report, his gaze narrowing. "Captain Archer is a very brave man, or very stupid," he mused very quietly. "Considering everything I have seen, I suspect the former."

"But why is he coming, and alone?" she asked, her hands rubbing together. "Do you believe that there is a connection between this and Bre-tac's coming?"

"There has to be. They both come for the same reason; to stop the invasion from happening." He moved out of his seat, walking over to her. "Perhaps they simply found another way to achieve their goals. The Gods would have information concerning our civilization and customs to access. No matter."

"But the way of peace… it conflicts with your vow."

"It does, my love… but what if they discovered the right ritual?"

Sheeyal looked up, seeing the wheels turning in his head. As one of the last pure blooded Sunak, Karken would have been properly educated in his civilizations traditions and combat rituals since he was three. If he was thinking what she thought he was thinking… "_Isala_, you can't be serious."

"The _Vorans_ challenge would ensure that Captain Archer could state his demands, and I would still be able to fight him. No one would have to die."

"People have died from it, though, and in the most horrible ways! You know what those do to those with Sunak physiology!"

"Then I shall have to make sure that I don't get hurt in the combat, now won't I?" He shrugged. "That's only if he has learned of the challenge."

Sheeyal nodded, though she was still afraid. She did know what the challenge entailed. If accepted, the two combatants would be forced to fight until one of them could fight no longer.

And what better way to stop someone from getting up, then killing them?

Karken smiled, rubbing her shoulders slowly. "Don't worry, Sheeyal," he said. "I will be fine, regardless. I have never lost, and I won't start now."

"… I know, but you have never faced a human before."

"Fair point. Perhaps I shall meet my match."

Sheeyal stepped forward, embracing him. "Just… be careful," she said softly. "I did not allow myself to be courted all of this time, just to lose you because you wanted a battle."

* * *

**Enterprise**

It's called the _Voran's _challenge," Ex explained, knowing that she had an intelligent person sitting a quarter of a foot away, listening attentively. "Your basic one-on-one combat, except for one detail; there is no clear cut way to victory."

"So death is not necessary," Susan reiterated, nodding in understanding. "If it's possible, I can knock the bloke out."

"Basically, but it's not that simple." The Goddess leaned back in her seat, closing her eyes. "Not every species has the same weak spots as humans do. A knockout punch on that 'sweet spot' on a human, would probably be less than useful against a Reman, or a Sunakian."

"You don't have to tell me that. Narnians aren't just one species, but a variety of different ones. Each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Much like the variety of combat styles that Earth has, one singular strategy that's effective against satyrs would be worthless against a centaur." Susan frowned as she stared at the computer screen. "At least most of the Confederation's species abide to a humanoid shape, so knocking their legs out from under them shouldn't be too difficult a task… unless they're made of rock, or giants."

Ex had to laugh at that. "I don't think you'll have to worry about the giant part. The tallest ones don't make it past seven feet." Her laughter faded after a moment. "The one who is challenged tends to have the battle in an area of their choice. You are allowed to choose someone to stand in your corner, kind of like a coach."

"And if you're unable to fight any longer, but are still alive, they can throw in the towel for you."

The woman nodded, stretching out slightly, allowing the Goddess to observe her more closely. Time and circumstances had burned much of the gentleness out of her, leaving behind a battle scarred warrior in its wake. Where as before she would have tried to talk someone out of a hasty action, now she was more prone to using her fists to stamp out the threat. And therein lay the heart of her troubles with Aslan.

She didn't hate him. No, she could never hate the Great Lion. She was angry at him for letting her become so bitter. It was a feeling that had persisted for nearly fifty years, and it didn't like it was going to end any time soon.

Forcibly pulling herself out of her self recriminations, Susan focused once more on the here and now. If she could save both Earth and Narnia, that might be enough to soothe her anguish, if only a little bit. Dealing with her problems with Aslan could wait until then. "Is there anything else I need to know about this?" she asked. "What weapons are allowed, or special rules that can be used against me."

"Just one thing; if you win, then you can decide whatever you want. If you want the whole Sunak Confederation to die, they will have no choice but honor it. If you lose… well, nothing changes for us, then."

"What if they don't accept the challenge?"

"They don't have a choice. It's life or death for us, so they have to accept it. They will give Earth a fighting chance, even if it's a slim one."

"Which means they're not expecting a warrior to fight them, but a desperate being who literally has nothing left to lose." Susan grinned slightly. "They won't be expecting someone who can actually fight back…" An idea began to percolate in her head, and she grinned. "Ex, I think we stand a very good chance of winning this fight," she said.

Ex frowned, confused. "We do?" What did she miss during that conversation?

0

T-Pol continued running her scans, her body performing the tasks without thought, without any effort at all. She had done it for most of her sixty six years of life, that it was almost second nature.

So, while her body performed its duties, she finally allowed herself to think back, to the day they all met Wheeler and Linka at the Metropolitan Apartment Complex. The feeling of déjà vu they had all had, the story Sakar had told them about their dreams. What is was supposed to mean. How was it possible? And what about the tests? How could they have connections to her home world and their mission to stop the Xindi?

A Vulcan's mind, after incredible development and testing, a lifetime of discipline to contain their volatile emotions, was akin to a super computer that had been debugged and organized. Every single detail that was her life was compartmentalized and easy to access whenever she wanted or needed to. Even in dreams, which even her people had, could be recalled with crystal clear clarity when the need arose.

As her eyes took note of an anomaly in the aft scans and moved to identify it, she began to go through what she had seen in Lilith Sloane's mind and compared it to her dreams. And, to her slight dismay, aside from a different location, they were exactly the same. It was too disturbing for her to think about for long.

Then there was her current emotional state to consider. Her emotions, fiery was the magma that flowed beneath almost every planet's core, was the byproduct of millennium of evolution and savage civilization. But now, they were almost human strength. She could actually show them, and not worry that she would go too far.

The anomaly was identified, and a smirk emerged on her face. "Captain," she said, temporarily setting her personal journey aside for the moment. "I believe I may have located Silik's ship."

Ah, that got the Captain's attention easily, and he turned around. "Let me guess, he's heading for the fleet as well," he said.

"He is, and he is only several thousand kilometers behind us, and closing. Whatever cloak he is using, he paid too much for it."

The captain leaned back. "Malcolm, when he gets in range, grapple him and tow him into Cargo Bay One. I want to have a few words with him."

Malcolm grinned. "Aye, Sir," was all he said, making the necessary preparations.

Pleased with herself, T-Pol returned to her original thoughts, trying to put the pieces together of a puzzle far more complex than any Vulcan puzzle.

Namely, her life.

0

Down in Engineering, Trip was busy running diagnostics on the entire warp system, making sure Silik hadn't rigged something to go off while they were at warp, despite the fact they spent the better part of two days visually inspecting manifolds for that very reason. They couldn't be too careful, after all.

However, as the diagnostic didn't require him to manually input anything, and as he had already gone through every bit of information he had on the new weapons and hull plating, he found his mind wandering back to last week, when Sakar had first revealed himself to them, when he had seen the of the apartment complex.

How the hell did he remember something he had never seen before in his life?

A whole lot of things had never really added up throughout his life, and he hadn't really figured any of it out. The ease in which he was able to repair something, even beyond having a gift, the dreams of a young boy losing his parents, just a few of the mysteries that summed up Charles Tucker the III's life.

He had a feeling T-Pol was doing much of the same thinking on the bridge, and wished he could talk to her. But with everything that's been happening, they wouldn't have a whole lot of time. And time was something they were going to need… unless a big clue dropped right on their laps within the next hour or so.

His gaze shifted across the screen, brow furrowing. "Hey, Carpenter, check the Emergency Venting System!" he called out. "There's something in the pipes, and I don't wanna clog if we need to vent the antimatter!"

"You got it, sir!" The engineer quickly made his way over to the tube that would take them directly, allowing the Chief Engineer to breathe out in relief. At least he could keep this ship running at peak efficiency for as long as possible.

The captain and crew would appreciate that, too.

* * *

**Pocket Dimension**

"Why is it that nighttime always makes everything appear more forbidding?" Linka asked, shivering slightly.

Wheeler frowned for a second in thought. "Might be because we're so used to the light of day," he replied after a moment. "We have a instinctual fear of the dark, which I guess came from our primitive ancestors."

"We elves are not immune to such superstitions," the Voyeur said. "Even here, within this safe haven, we dare not stray too far from the village at night."

"We know you do not," Elric stated, chuckling. "'Tis because it would take you too far from your love, and your nightly exercises."

The two Planeteers traded surprised looks at that, though in retrospect, they both realized that it wasn't all that surprising. He had been just a tad too comfortable being on display for anyone to see. "They do that every night, outside," both stated at once.

"Indeed. And usually, it is enough to get another couple going at it. Sometimes more than one."

Linka's cheeks turned a little red at that, much to the amusement of the elves. "Well… that is good to know," she murmured, trying not to think about it… too much. She had to keep herself under control before she jumped her boyfriend right there and then.

Wheeler had to agree with her there, though for somewhat different reasons. He had never really seen Linka so uninhibited before in the years he had known her. He was kind of hoping for a repeat performance… later, after Sakar was dealt with and they were alone. Afterwards, maybe they could come back here for a while.

Linka lightly smacked him on the arm as his emotional state took a slightly suggestive shift, though she was starting to have similar thoughts. "Later, Yankee," she warned teasingly, laughing as his cheeks now turned red. "For now, we must…"

"Be quiet," he suddenly stated, his expression shifting from playful to serious. He stood up, his ring starting to glow. He had heard something.

Linka also stood up, as did their entourage. "What is it?" She had never seen or felt such a rapid shift of emotions before, but she knew that it meant only one thing. Something was happening.

Or, in this case, something was coming towards them. And from the sound of it, it wasn't coming to play with them.

0

Oh, it was coming to play with them, but it wasn't the kind of playing they would enjoy.

The first thing any of them saw was nothing more than a blur shooting at them, before Linka felt something slam into her like a freight train. She was barely able to get her hands out in time to stop a snapping of jaws from closing around her head, but the sheer velocity and mass of it took her down, almost into the fire.

Wheeler and the Voyeur moved immediately, each grabbing the beast by the scruff of its neck and pulling it off. And not for the first time in two weeks, the Fire Planeteer was happy that he now had superhuman strength, as the two of them tossed it away. A burst of fire shot out almost immediately, slamming into the creature and lighting it up briefly.

What they saw in that brief moment was the stuff that nightmares are made of.

The monster seemed to be a fusion of a tiger and a wolf at first glance. Its thick, wolf like fur hide was liberally striped through. Its body possessed the sleek form of the wolf, but its head seemed to be a slightly smaller version of the tiger. It was also clear that it had no real neck to speak of.

But the eyes… the eyes were neither. They looked reptilian, and yet almost supernatural. Almost… dragon-like.

"What matter a beast is this?" the Voyeur breathed in. "Tis like nothing I have ever seen."

"That's because it's not natural," Wheeler replied, eyes narrowing. "This… abomination, has been genetically created in a lab somewhere. Nothing about it was born."

"_Da, _and I think I know who is responsible for this," Linka added angrily, brushing off her shirt. "Doctor Blight."

And then the time for talking was over, as the abomination charged right at them again, teeth gnashing with anticipation. It had found its prey, and it wasn't going to stop until it had completed its mission. This was what it had been created for, by its Mistress; to destroy Fire and Wind forever.

Linka brought her ring up, focusing her will upon it. Without a single word, much like Wheeler had done, she called upon her powers, focusing the air around her and condensing it into a single sphere. With a grunt, she launched it at the charging monster.

The abomination let out a split piercing shriek as it plowed right into it. Its forward progress was temporarily halted by it as it was shoved back several feet. But that was all it did. It didn't even leave its feet.

Another ear piercing shriek cut through the night, making them all wince in pain. "Damn it," Wheeler grumbled, bringing his ring up again and firing again. "That thing's loud."

"And resistant to our powers!" Linka added, as the flames dissipated off of its skin, revealing no damage. "I doubt combining them is going to do much better! And that thing is too strong and too fast to deal with in close range combat!"

"Then we must go into the mountains!" Elric shouted, bringing his spear up. "We have no other choice!"

"But we are forbidden to enter!" the Voyeur stated in shock. "Only those of the bloodline can enter! Our own laws stated it to be so!"

"You don't have a choice! Either the mountains, or you get to be this thing's lunch!" Wheeler shouted. "Everybody in! Go!"

And if his command wasn't enough, the sudden sight of the abomination charging right at them, virtually unscathed from being roasted spurred them all into motion. No one wanted to find out how that thing killed its prey, or how long it would take it.

Wheeler looked at the camp fire as they passed it, looked at Linka for confirmation. Linka nodded, guessing what he was planning. "_Da!_" she agreed, pointing her ring at it at the same time he did.

The flames suddenly sparked into a blaze worthy of the Gods, spreading out like it was out of control. Of course, they had to very much in their control.

The hurricane gust of wind that accompanied that magically enhanced blaze sent it forward like it was a tsunami, aimed at only one thing.

Linka's assessment was right on the bat. The power behind the attack barely fazed the abomination. At best, all it did was slow it down a bit. It was quite hot and gusty.

That was what they were hoping for. For it bought them some time. And time was all they needed.

For by the time the abomination had finally managed to break through the attack, they were all long gone. Its roar of rage echoed across the plains.

0

"How did that thing get through the gateway?" Linka gasped, checking her arms for any debilitating injuries. She had felt the claws dig through her shirt and penetrate skin. It had hurt like the devil.

"Probably the same way we did," Wheeler replied, his ring lighting up the area around them. He had had to wait for a moment before doing so, just to make sure that the abomination hadn't followed them in. "Through the Stonehenge Portal." And it's kind of obvious as to what its main squeeze is."

"Us."

"That is yet one more problem for us to contend with," Elric stated. "By entering this place, the four of us may now be in even greater danger than before."

Linka rubbed her eyes. "Please tell me that this place is not cursed," she moaned, "and that the curse activates at night."

The Voyeur shrugged. "We do not know," he said. "No elf has ever entered this place. We have obeyed the law to the letter."

"Great. We shall figure it out as we go, then."

"That's half the fun," Wheeler stated, smirking. "The other half is trying to find our way in this place. Anyone bring a map?"

"Sorry, Yankee. I left it in my other pair of shorts, back at the village."

"We'll just wing it, then. Alright everyone, follow me and stick together. We've only got one light, and we don't have time to backtrack."

There was no argument there. His ring was the only light they had, and considering how their plans had been destroyed by that thing's appearance, they had been caught unprepared.

Oh well. Surprises, both good and bad, were what life was made of. And Wheeler wouldn't have it any other way.

That, and love, was what made life worthwhile.

* * *

And here is Chapter Thirty Nine. Chapter Forty is going to be a while, as I shift my attention back to Silver Star Story, but don't fret. I will return to this as soon as I can.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty**

**Zion**

"We have a problem," Guardian Demos stated immediately, entering Alania's office in a burst of light.

Alania looked up, not liking the sound of that at all. Then again, when did they ever barge into her office with good news, or coffee? Never.

Demos had been given the task of tracking Wheeler and Linka through their Trial, as he had had to go through almost the same exact ordeal, all the way down to the mountain. So if there were any new surprises to it, he would be the first to know.

Demos set a scroll down. "There was a small distortion in Stonehenge's energy field," he reported, looking rather sick to his stomach. "Something else entered the pocket realm about three hours after Commander Tucker and Subcommander T-Pol left. It was able to bypass the puzzle and the forgiveness portions of the Trial, and made a direct beeline towards the Planeteers."

"That would mean that whatever entered had to be bestial in nature... or design." She rubbed her eyes. "Can't say I'm surprised, considering Blight's hatred for the two of them. She would try to destroy when they were most vulnerable."

"But that's not the worst of it, Eminence. It reached their position about ten minutes ago, and it looks like it couldn't tell its targets from those who traveled with them. They were forced into the mountain with their escort. Which means..."

"The elves had two very bad options, Demos. Enter the mountains, or be dog food. They chose the lesser of two problems. We'll deal with the ramifications as they go."

Demos shook his head. "And therein lies the problem. If you will recall, I was informed by the Council that Tieranos was the one who set their trial up, as their 'Handler.' And, considering his track record, you know what that means."

The First Guardian was out of her seat in an instant, her face a storm cloud. She knew only too well what a trial created by Tieranos could mean, and what would happen if they failed to complete every step. "_Tieranos!_" she shouted, running out of her office in a blur, Demos quickly following. He had to, just make sure she didn't kill the bastard when she finally found him.

Even though he wanted to do the same thing.

* * *

**Deep Space, _Enterprise_**

Silik sighed, staring at the walls of the brig... again. He was starting to think that this mission of his was more trouble than it was worth.

He had been within shouting distance of the Sunak fleet, about ready to open hailing frequencies and state his intentions, when his ship had been hit by an impact. Then he had noticed the fact that he was going in reverse, which immediately told him everything he needed to know.

It looked like Captain Archer was going to plead to the Sunak, to ask them to try peace instead of war, and he didn't want his adversary to try and muck it up. Sometimes, human naivety could be so touching. Then again, Archer had found him again, so that was saying something about them. And he was coming here.

He sometimes wondered how it was that humanity was always at the forefront of history, despite their many frailties. After all, they didn't have the logic of Vulcans, the power of Klingons, or the sheer fierceness of Tellarites or Andorians. And yet, from what he had seen, they were to become the most powerful member of the Federation. The driving force behind its creation.

If this display of courage, taking one ship into the midst of an armada, was anything to that effect, then perhaps that was the reason why.

The outer door opened as he mused about this, admitting the captain himself, looking rather grave. But he did look in far better control of himself. This was good. It meant something happened that was to his liking.

Archer looked at him for a moment, before pressing the comm button. "What were you planning to do once you got to their fleet?" he asked quite calmly, which was quite surprising to say the least. "You don't know anyone in this universe. Your benefactor has no real power here, and you're right now in our brig... again."

"I was trying to ensure that you didn't do anything stupid, Jonathan," Silik responded with, leaning forward. He couldn't believe that the human would try to make him explain himself, while they were on their way towards an invasion force. "Obviously, I failed, considering the fact that you're here, and heading for the fleet without any backup of any kind. Do you even have a plan?"

"We have a plan," Archer stated simply. "One that doesn't really require your assistance or input, or presence. So you might as well cool your heels in the brig, because you will not be leaving it until we're back in our own universe."

Eyes that had been enhanced so that he could see in the dark narrowed at that boast. Archer had always managed to make a plan, which usually succeeded in some form. After all, the man and his crew had managed to track a Klingon right into the heart of one of their installations, then caused quite a disruption by making sure all of the ships docked there were released at once. He had to have something planned.

Deciding that this was not the time to be silent, Silik leaned forward. After all, there was a good chance that neither of them would survive the next few hours. "Do you honestly think that these people are going to call off their invasion, simply on your say so?" he asked pleasantly. "If hat is what you think, then you are more of a fool than I thought."

Archer chuckled at that, shaking his head, which confused the Suliban. "Silik, I'm not going there to talk to them," he replied. "In fact, I plan on doing nothing. Someone will be doing it for me. And they will have justified reason for doing so." Leaving that little morsel to hang over his head, he made his way out.

Silik watched him go, frowning thoughtfully. It looked like he had things well in hand. But there was something else to this story. Something neither he nor Archer had taken into account. He just knew it. Call it instinct.

He made his way over to the other side of the brig door, and proceeded to examine it thoroughly...

* * *

Susan climbed through a hatch, which she thought was a little out of place on a vessel that had sliding doors, and took a look around as she did so. She had no idea where she was going to find herself, and thus was amazed. "Wow..." she whispered.

In her explorations of the ship, which was about all she could do while they flew towards possible death, she had seen the bridge, sickbay, the mess hall, even their version of stellar cartography. But she hadn't gone to Engineering yet.

And here she was, staring at its engine, once more in awe. Or did she not stop being in awe of the ship since she came onboard? She didn't know.

"Normally, we don't let civilians in Engineering," a voice stated behind her, startling her, "but considering who you are, we can make an exception this time."

Smiling, the young woman turned to look at Trip as he came down from the Master Control Console. "Captain Archer's father... built this?" she asked, pointing at the Warp Core. She had read up on the Warp Five Project during their journey, in an effort to better understand the technology.

Trip nodded, grinning. "He and Zefram Cochrane designed it, just before Cochrane disappeared. It's capable of going to Warp Five in a pinch, though only for about five minutes. Hell of a beast." He sighed. "I kinda want to see what _Voyager's _islike, if it's built the same way as the _Constitution."_

"The _Constitution_? Oh, that wish Yggdrasil is preparing for the future."

"Yep. It has a warp core in an upright position. From what I'm guessing, it's far more efficient than ours. Then again, that ship's a whole lot bigger than ours."

Susan nodded, deciding not to tell the man about Kirk and his crew. The man had seen a far more advanced ship. He didn't need to know that it was inspired by _Star Trek._

"His Dad should have been here to see _Enterprise_ fly."

It took a moment for her to figure out what he was talking about, and about who. "...I'm guessing that the launch of _Enterprise_ occurred later than it should have, considering your alliance with T-Pol's people."

Trip nodded. "The Vulcans were under the mistaken impression that we weren't ready to go out into space, even though Doctor Cochrane proved that we could handle it. They held back critical technologies, forced us to come up with it on our own, just because they thought we were children." He chuckled. "I think we've proved them wrong, thanks to T-Pol's support. And we've been proving them wrong ever since."

Susan chuckled in amusement, though she felt sorry for the Vulcan's and their logical ways. It was obvious that they hadn't quite understood how the rest of the galaxy worked. Humans were a rather emotional race that had the ability to reach the stars, if they would only stop trying to kill one another. But they also had the ability to survive many obstacles, including their own self destruction. "So, the Vulcans put her on board, because they wanted to try and hold you back."

"Not all of them. I'm beginning to think Ambassador Soval just wanted to make sure that we didn't make complete asses of ourselves. He was testing us, seeing if we could handle being out there. And I think he was going to pull T-Pol off of Enterprise before we went into the Expanse, just to protect her." He sighed. "He was right on a few things. There was something in the Expanse that could harm Vulcans. A compound that gradually destroyed their synaptic relays, breaking their emotional control, and basically driving them mad. It... almost happened to T-Pol."

"... … ...Even if she knew the risks beforehand, I think she would have gone anyway, Commander. Going into space, just like going to other worlds, is never without risk of injury and worse. That's how people learn and grow; by accepting the risks and dangers, and moving forward." She grinned. "Also, everybody makes an ass of themselves a few times. That's how you learn. And if T-Pol has experience in those matters, then all the more power to all of you."

"Ain't that the truth." Trip checked the matter/antimatter levels on a nearby screen, nodding to himself in approval. "So, I guess that you and Aslan aren't on speaking terms, if you're still here?" he asked. "And how is it that you look young?"

Susan sighed. She had been wondering when he would ask that question, and was slightly impressed with the fact that he held off for so long. "We have been trying to mend our fences, but he's too guilt stricken, and I'm just too stubborn," she replied, her gaze going distant once again. "Either that, or we're both afraid to really make the first move. And as for why I look so young... I'm in a form of stasis, if you'll pardon the statement. The aging process just halted after the accident at the platform, and never started up again. It's the reason why I am able to heal so well, even from a potentially fatal wound. And I have no idea how it happened."

"Maybe there's something you have to do here, and you have to stay until it's completed."

"Why, thank you for your observation of my life, Commander Tucker. I don't know where Archer would be without you."

"Up the creek without a paddle, I'd say."

She had to chuckle at that. "You're probably right. Now, if you will excuse me, we're probably almost to the fleet. I'm going to head up to the bridge, just so we can get this done as quickly as possible."

She didn't add that this conversation was making her uneasy, since it struck very close to home.

* * *

Archer reached the lift just as Susan did, who looked as though she had just been put through an interrogation. "Everything okay?" he asked.

Susan looked up, smiling slightly. "It is, actually," she replied, meaning it. "I just came from Engineering, after an illuminating conversation with Commander Tucker. He just told me that your father designed the Warp Five Engine... among other things."

Archer nodded, his gaze darkening a little at that. Despite everything, despite the fact that T-Pol had earned his trust and admiration, Vulcans as a whole still reminded him that his father didn't get to see his ship fly. After this last week, he better understood the reasons why, but it was still a subject that he found himself angered with.

"Well, are you ready?" he asked, forcibly tearing himself from events beyond his control. "I know you had a few things beamed aboard before we left. Do you think it'll be enough?"

Susan nodded, her own mood shifting almost immediately. "Considering the nature of the challenge, it will be. It most definitely will be."

* * *

_**Scimitar**_

Bre-tac was sure about one thing; that whatever Dardos was up to, it didn't concern peace. His affiliations, hell his entire species and profile, screamed that.

The Reman race were cunning, bloodthirsty, and capable of unspeakable crimes. During their many altercations with the Goa'uld, long before they joined the Confederation, they had been responsible for the massacre of three inhabited worlds, and the slaughter of over fifteen thousand Jaffa... with their _bare hands_. And, despite the exercises that helped them contain it on a day to day basis, it was of no surprise to him that most of them entered the military immediately.

And he suspected that Admiral Dardos was worse than all of them. One didn't reach his rank without having a few buried bodies on their resume.

Unfortunately, that kind of information, the information that could bury him wasn't on his public profile. That would have been simple. His public profile stated that he was an accomplished battlefield commander, having led troops in over a dozen major engagements against various enemies. All successful. He had reached the rank of captain at a young age, and admiral three years after that. He was promoted to Fleet Admiral almost ten years ago, and retained the post over all competition. He was also the leader of his people, which gave him incredible political clout as well. All in all, the most dangerous kind of person around in this kind of situation.

This was a enemy that he could not underestimate even in the slightest. Otherwise, he would be dead. He needed to find that information, and fast. But where could he find it? It would definitely be somewhere other than this in room. He would have to find a way to get past his guard, and locate Zephyer.

He shifted his attention back to studying his quarters, trying to find a weakness that he had missed during his first search. It never hurt to double check when in a potentially hostile environment. He had learned that from his instructor, just before his instructor was killed by a rival First Prime.

And as before, he came up with the same things as before. The places to set a hidden camera, hidden traps to injure or kill a person, the vents...

His attention shifted fully to the vents, and he resisted the urge to step forward. He knew enough about ships to understand one important thing; that almost every species needed to breathe. As a result, it would be a very simple matter just to cut the air off and simply kill them through oxygen starvation. What was more, it would be very easy to make it look like a malfunction, and no one would know otherwise until much later, when it was far too late.

He had a feeling that this would be his fate if he didn't get out of this room soon... so why not make it happen early? If he simply died, no one would think otherwise. He was an old man, after all. Death was never far off to begin with.

So, after a quick check of the bed for any hidden traps (there were none, thank the Maker,) he laid down in preparation to sleep... and to die.

At least, to pretend to.

* * *

**Pocket Realm**

Linka could safely say why she absolutely hated dark places; because of the danger to her feet.

In the space of what she assumed had been an hour, she had successfully managed to stub her toes no less than six times. This was what she was expecting in a place like this. She didn't have to like it, though.

Their honor guard, who had been forced into this place with them, were having no better luck. Apparently, whatever reflexes they had that were superior to ordinary man, still required sight to be effective. Grunts of pain and frustration were the theme today as each one of them hit an obstacle jutting from the wall, a stone on the ground, or the ceiling which, for some strange reason, had a tendency to dip down severely and without warning. Almost as if it had been created that way.

Wheeler, whose ring was their only light source, had begun warning them about potential hazards in their way, and was doing a moderately decent job of alerting them to each one. The number of bruises they received had dropped, anyway.

Their walk also became perilous at times. They skirted along great wide chasms, tiptoes across thin balance beam size paths, and even scurried across a rock face like a bunch of monkeys, just to avoid some rather sharp rocks. But then again, that was to be expected. If there weren't obstacles to the prize, it wouldn't be much of a test, now would it?

What had not been expected had been that killing machine that had tried to tear Linka's arm off earlier. That was a wild card if there ever was one, but life threw those at you when you least expected them. They would find a way to combat it, even if it was only with rocks. And there were a whole lot of those lying around.

"This is really annoying!" Linka finally exclaimed, having reached the limits of her rather considerable patience. "If the purpose of this trial is to drive us crazy, it is succeeding."  
"Easy, babushka," Wheeler murmured, squeezing her hand lightly, which he was pretty certain he hadn't let go of once since they entered. "Everything's fine. It's just another dark corridor with possible traps set up to kill us. Nothing unusual about that."

"I know. But for once, just once I would like a trial that does not include any kind of life or death struggle."

"Which you have stated in many forms over the last few hours," the Voyeur stated, smirking. "We understand. You hate life and death situations."

Wheeler grinned as his girlfriend blushed at the gentle teasing. "Don't worry, I hate them too, Linka," he said reassuringly. "But you have to stop worrying about it. We'll be fine, if we just believe it."

She returned his smile somewhat bashfully. "I do tend to repeat myself, don't I?" she asked.

"Constantly. But it certainly helped me remember to keep my hand attached to yours at all times."

"As well as so much more, apparently," Elric added, grinning cheekily.

"Enough of that!"Her blush grew considerably at that, though she knew it was her own damn fault. "We are never doing that in from of a window ever again, Yankee!" she hissed.

"That wasn't what you said when we _were_ at the window," he whispered in return, a thought coming to him on how to help her relax. "In fact, I think it was something else entirely."

"Oh, hush you." There, that was what he was hoping for; her to focus on something far more pleasant. It was working, if only for the immediate moment. That was good, as she would be slightly more clear headed. And a Linka clear headed was a dangerous Linka.

The two elves smirked at their backs, knowing that the powers of light had once again chosen well. They would quickly figure out whatever the trials were in the mountain, and emerge with the power to defeat the Death Dealer.

Whether or not they would get out as well, on the other hand, was up for debate.

There were reasons why their people had been told never to enter the mountain, and why that warning was reinforced; because there were actual dangers in them that none of them had seen. Unspeakable creatures and nameless horrors awaited those were not worthy to try and discover its secrets. The few that had defied this order were never heard from again.

Would they be among them?

At that particular moment, they had good reason to wonder about their survival. The mountain was coming alive once more. Its one purpose; to protect the sacred weapons within, as well as the Trinity of Fire and Wind from any intruders. Tieranos never took any chances, nor did he show any leniency in the creation of trials.

Unfortunately, he was a little too stringent in his preparations, a little too unyielding. The defenses that protected the mountain were unable to tell good from evil, and thus dealt with both with equal force. As a result, it would destroy the Planeteers as readily as it would any other being that came across it. It was a weakness that no one had taken into account when he was given the task of creating Fire and Wind's Trial. And really, that was the point, in his opinion. If they couldn't survive that, then what good would they be in an actual battle?

And then there was their pursuer, Blight's little experiment had followed them in after it had regained its senses. It was prowling about, trying to track them through the mountain, slowed by the conflicting scents it was getting, as well as a number of other things. It was undaunted, though. It only had one setting; kill. It had only one target; them.

These two factors, along with the fact that none of them had any clue what was going on, would inevitably be the pinnacle of a bad day.

The first aspect that would give them trouble was already rising up from the ground, cold red eyes blinking in the darkness.

And a rattle began making itself known...

* * *

**Zion**

"What do you mean, he's not here?" Alania asked quite quietly, staring down at the secretary with a less than thrilled look on her face.

The secretary, a mere mortal of twenty six years of age, shrank back in her seat. Everyone knew that when Alania was ready to blow her top, which was rare these days, she got really calm first. People tended to avoid her when she was like that, unless she was looking for them specifically. If that was the case, they quickly began praying to whatever gods they believed in. To her credit, she didn't start shaking with terror. "H-he said that h-he would be in Realm 6154 for the foreseeable future, ma'am," she replied, just a little shakily. "He said n-not t-to b-be d-disturbed."

"Where in 6154 is he, exactly?"

"H-his ancestral home."

"Thank you." She walked out, shaking her head. The idiocy and prejudice within that man. Why had the Balance selected him as a Guardian, again? _'Oh, right. Because he passed his trial and brought galactic peace to his people,'_ she thought sardonically. _'Destiny doesn't select us for our personalities, just our abilities and conviction.'_

Demos was waiting for her outside of the government building, shaking his head sadly. "The fact that there were no explosions, or the building being rebuilt quickly after the fact, tells me that Tieranos is not here," he guessed immediately.

"You guessed right," Alania replied, sighing. "He's retired to his home realm for some much needed R&R. The bastard." She rubbed her eyes slowly, trying to relieve herself of the migraine she knew she would be feeling right about now. "He probably heard that I was looking for him, and high tailed it out of here."

"If you want, I can have a Stargate ready for you within thirty minutes."

"... No, I'll teleport there right now. It'll be faster, and I'll have the element of surprise as well. In the meantime, go through the schematics for Fire and Wind's trial. Technological, magical, even mental. I want you to find a way to bring it down to a more acceptable level while I beat the same out of him, and maybe, just maybe, we'll save the two elves in the process."

Demos nodded. "Yes, ma'am." He quickly walked away, whistling to himself. "Oh yes, she's pissed," he muttered to himself, grateful that he wasn't at the end of her wrath.

People like that tended to have a very short life expectancy.

* * *

_**Enterprise**_

"By the Tree," Ex whispered. Malcolm was forced to agree with her on that.

It was one thing for someone to see an enemy fleet from a distance. You could feel a sense of fear, but there was still some distance between yourself and them. The awe and worry were reduced to simply the number of vessels you were facing.

It was quite another to see the fleet for yourself, especially when you noticed just how massive it was.

Malcolm had, nearly two weeks before, determined that the Sunak Fleet was over a hundred ships. And that was just him doing a count of their capital ships. And, considering the size of the some of those ships, it was a fairly good size. That was enough fire power to boil a planet easily, if that planet didn't have a fleet of its own protecting it.

It was the fighters they had to worry about. None of the Asgard had any, as there was only one crewman per vessel. If they had automated drones, they would have to have AI interfaces, and something told the Lieutenant that they didn't have that. Never had a reason too.

He turned his attention to his scanners, trying to get as much information as he could concerning their numbers. It would help him better understand Earth's chances of fighting off an aerial assault.

Judging by the sheer number of fighters flying around, those chances weren't looking to good right now.

Ex observed the fleet for a moment longer, though she knew she wasn't going to get any more insight on them. She was just hoping...

"There's the _Crusher_," she said after a moment, spotting a very familiar ship. "She's coming to meet us, I guess."

"Looks like it. They obviously knew we were coming." He looked up. "And here is the Captain and the challenger now," he mused. "Their timing is impeccable." Even now, the captain's ability to appear before something major was going to happen never ceased to amaze him.

"I don't know about Captain Archer, but Queen Susan's had a lot of practice," she replied, barely stopping herself from bowing to the woman in question. Susan had given up her title a long time ago, and clearly didn't want it back. If it weren't for her family, she probably would have severed all ties with Narnia. She probably still would, if any of them tried to bring her back against her will.

But it wouldn't happen today, as she took a spot near T-Pol's station, waiting patiently to be called upon. Her gaze was intense, nothing at all as she had been described as in the books. This was a hardened warrior, with the mind and experience of a sixty year old, and the body of one half her age. Such a combination was deadly.

"_Crusher _is hailing us," the comm officer reported. "It's Commander Karken."

Archer sat down, nodding. "On screen."

Immediately, the very familiar face of their opponent appeared on the viewer, looking unsurprised by their presence. _"Captain Archer,"_ he growled, discarding pleasantries entirely. _"What possible reason could you have for making this journey alone, and knowing what faces you when you arrived?"_

"Because we're trying to save Earth, Commander," Archer replied, getting to the point as well. "We've been studying your cultural practices, and we've come up with something that we can utilize to our advantage." He nodded.

Susan immediately stepped into view, locking gazes with the Sunak warrior. "Commander, I am Susan Pevensie, Narnia's representative on Earth," she declared, every ounce of royalty brought to bear. "Your war upon this world will inevitably bring great danger to my world. Therefore, I hereby issue the _Voran_ challenge against the Sunak Confederation."

_"And I accept your challenge, Susan Pevensie. As the challenged, I designate the _Scimitar_ as the arena. Be ready in one hour. Failure to appear will mean automatic forfeiture of all claims."_ The screen reverted back to the _Crusher_ without so much as a by your leave. He hadn't even asked what Narnia was, which meant their intel on Earth was a whole better than they had assumed.

Susan turned around, a little mystified by this. "Is that normal?" she asked.

Archer shrugged. "It's happened several times with our species," he replied. "I guess his has a different idea of decorum."

"Actually, it's because he will require every minute he can get to prepare," Ex stated. "Now that the challenge has been accepted, there is no backing out of it. It can only end with the defeat of one of the combatants. You're allowed to wear armor, and wield a weapon of your choice."

"Oh... okay. Good thing I came prepared then." She made her way back to the turbolift. "Those two containers that I had brought on board... could you have them sent to my quarters, Captain? It has everything I'll need for this."

Archer nodded. It was a simple request. "It doesn't have guns, does it?"

"No, it has something far more powerful than that."

* * *

The moment the screen was blank, Karken was out of his chair, heading for the turbolift. He had much to prepare for, and only a small window of opportunity to do so. He would not waste even a moment of it. "Subcommander, inform me when Captain Archer's party is ready to come on board," he ordered. "I will be preparing for the battle in my quarters."

Sheeyal nodded as the life doors closed, her eyes the only thing betraying her feelings concerning the situation. Karken had been right in hoping Archer would discover the _Voran_ challenge, but that didn't make her feel any better. If anything, it made her feel worse.

_'Please, great gods of old, please protect my love,'_ she prayed. _'Please help him survive this battle.'_

* * *

Susan entered the quarters that had been assigned to her, though she had seen no need for them at the time. She wasn't going to be there for more than a day, after all, so why bother?

Now she remembered why. They were a place a of solitude when one needed it. And she needed it, in order to prepare for the battle to come, against an opponent she had never faced before. She had no knowledge of his physiology, or his capabilities and training. She didn't know if a blow that would ordinarily kill a human or centaur would even affect him.

She went over to the first case that had been delivered to her, putting in her code to deactivate the security within, before opening it with a small amount of trepidation.

There, sitting in a depression shaped exactly like it, was a sword.

It was a beautiful sword that looked like it had been cared for its entire life. Not a scratch marred its surface, nor an accumulation of rust. Its edge was sharp, almost unnaturally so. It had seen a succession of wielders over its long history, all proud and noble kings, the first being her brother, then her first true love, Caspian.

Rhindon. Sword of the High King. Blade of Narnia.

And now the weapon was once more in the hands of a Pevensie, though she had no idea why. Peter hadn't either, but he had been willing to go on a little faith. Aslan told her that there was no reason, other than the fact that she would have need of it more than they did. She suspected that it was his first attempt to reconcile with her, and so she accepted it.

Unfortunately for them both, their efforts continued to prove futile after that. As she had told Phlox and Archer, he was hesitant to make the first move, and she was too stubborn to do the same. They had met quite frequently over the years, but that had been only to compare notes on the continued stability of Narnia and Earth, or if a new enemy threatened either world. She hadn't even been to visit her siblings in anything other than an official capacity, and it tore her up inside.

She sometimes wondered if she had become just like her Grandmother; distant, desperate to connect with others, but never being able to.

Sighing for a moment, she pushed the memories of the past, and her own tortured emotions concerning it, into the back of her mind. After doing so, she walked over to the other container, and deactivated its security, before unlocking it. A good offense deserved an equally effective defense, and she had such a defense. An old friend from her days as queen of Narnia, and one that had served her well over the decades.

She just hoped that it was good enough against this opponent.

* * *

_**Scimitar**_

The guards at Zephyer's door heard something hit the floor, something rather large. According to their training, that meant something was wrong.

One off the guards quickly punched in an override code for the door, letting it open. They both went inside, looking around.

"Gas!" one of them snarled, sniffing the air. As Lorsalians, both he and his comrade were impervious to airborne gases, so they could walk through such environments with impunity. "The systems must be experiencing a glitch!"

"Lieutenant Zephyer?" the other called out. "Are you alright?"  
"I am fine, though on the ceiling, gentlemen," Zephyer replied, trembling slightly from effort as he kept himself above the gases sphere of influence. The object that had hit the floor had been a decent sized vase. "However, I believe that this was no malfunction, Ensign."

"I'll report this to Engineering immediately, Sir." The other guard ran outside, the doors closing behind him. Despite a forcefield having activated immediately, having a solid obstacle always made everyone feel more secure.

Zephyer dropped to the ground, a small air mask over his mouth and nose. "We have about ten minutes before he returns," he said. "What have you learned?"

"Dardos is planning on launching the offensive, regardless of what happens in the next few hours," The Lorsalian said at once. "It appears that he is taking orders from someone else, other than the Praetor. Also, _Enterprise_ has arrived, and the _Voran_ challenge has been issued by a Susan Pevensie."

The name was unfamiliar to him, but Zephyer let it slide. He would never profess to knowing every human's name on that planet. "This must mean that Captain Archer has done his homework before arriving. This Pevensie may be able to turn the battle around before it has truly begun. Anything else?"

"The Praetor is unaware of Dardo's treachery, and no official communications are leaving the ship." The Lorsalian looked around for a second. "There is also something else. A portion of Deck Five that has been declared off limits to all nonessential personnel. And those who are essential are all Remans."

That was even more ominous, and there was a good reason for it. It was often said, that when Remans began congregating in more than groups of three, they were preparing for war. It was often said, and it was never a joke. It was a simple fact of their species. When they amassed, everyone else went in the opposite direction.

"Where is Master Bre-tac's quarters?" he asked immediately, knowing that what happened in his quarters would most likely happen there as well. And Bre-tac was not an young man.

"Deck ten, section thirteen _Iruld_," the Lorsalian responded. "My fellow guard will help keep your location hidden until you return. And be careful, Sir. I don't want your job."

"Probably just as well. I am not about ready to give it up." Slapping his fellow agent on the shoulder, he quickly exited his quarters, heading down the corridor to the nearest turbolift.

* * *

The two guards entered Bre-tac's quarters, neither one smiling at this unfortunate turn. If anything, they were in a panic.

Admiral Dardos had made it clear that no harm was to befall the Jaffa Master, no matter what. And now the computer was informing them that there were no life signs within the quarters, they understandably freaked. Disobeying or failing the Grand Admiral meant you didn't wait for the court martial. You committed suicide right then and there, and save your honor.

But first... they had to be sure he was dead, and simply not in a deep meditation. No sense losing it if it was a malfunction of the medical scanners.

Slowly, they approached the body on the bed, a body that was all so still. Neither one said a word, worried beyond measure. What were they going to tell Dardos? That the legendary Jaffa had died in his sleep? That was no way for a warrior to die. It was beneath them!

At long last, one of them mustered the courage to reach out, gently shaking Bre-tac. They had to be sure.

That was their first mistake; forgetting that this was indeed Bre-tac, the greatest of all Jaffa. They should have asked Engineering to run a diagnostic, or contacted their Infirmary and let a medical professional handle it. And they never should have come within grabbing range.

Bre-tac's eyes snapped open immediately, his hand latching onto the guard's wrist before he even knew what was happening. Twisting it just so, he was able to dislocate the arm from the shoulder. Leaving the bed with a grace that should have been impossible for a man his age, he swiftly kicked the other one in the head, slamming him against the wall. He chopped the first one in the back of the neck, knocking him out immediately so as to spare him the inevitable pain. He then reset the arm into its socket, as way of an apology. "You two are but innocents in this game," he said. "Perhaps one day, you will serve one more worthy than Dardos." He made his way to the door.

Zephyer was about ready to enter when it opened, revealing the Jaffa Master. "Nicely done," was all he said as he caught sight of the guards, kicking himself for underestimating the man. This was the one that defeated the Confederation at the battle of Juorod VI, after all.

"We have very little time," Bre-tac replied, understanding that their time was running short. There is more to the Grand Admiral than his profile has stated. Can you tell me anything that is not there officially?"

"...Perhaps, though it will only at great risk to ourselves. Now, come along. We need to Dech Five to confirm it."

* * *

**Tieranos Estate, Realm 6154**

"I want to know what you did, Tieranos."

Guardian Tieranos was a bear of a man, to be sure. He was closing in on seven feet, with short blond hair combed perfectly on top of his head. In his days as a field operative, he had been one of the most tactically sound Guardians to ever serve on the front lines. His victories all but assured him a place in Guardian lore, and his current position in the government.

But even then, Alania knew that there was something off about him, but she didn't know what at the time. Now she did. The guy was a politician first and foremost. He had always been able to smooth talk his way in and out of any situation with incredible ease.

And as the years went by, his ideas concerning those who were still mortal had become perfectly clear. He believed that they should never be given power over the Guardians without proving themselves, and always put together elaborate tests to try just that, just to see if they were people he could ally himself with.

And right now, he was observing Alania's too-calm expression with an air of detachment that he really shouldn't have had. "You'll have to be more specific, Eminence," he replied, taking a sip of his brandy. "What are you referring to?"

"The Trial of Fire and Wind, dammit!" she snarled, golden eyes flashing furiously. "I want to know exactly what you put in that mountain, because two elves were forced into the Trial arena by no fault of their own!"

He nodded, thinking to himself. "Well, since you must know so desperately, all I did was add the usual requirements. Physical, mental, and mystical. I just added more than usual, considering that we had put it in the care of elves."

"You mean, people who aren't Guardians, which is also standard practice." Tieranos was going to need a reminder that, once upon a time, he had been mortal. "Tieranos, I know your MO only too well. You like to push Trainees to the limit, then offer your services to them if they become Guardians. This is the reason why you have the lowest number of successful tests over all of us... and why you have one of the highest fatality rates. You don't allow for change."

"So what exactly do you want from me, Eminence?"

"I want you to shut down the mental aspect of the Trial, now."

Tieranos' eyes widened slightly at the somewhat unorthodox request. Never before had the First Guardian come to another Guardian, and told them to make a Trial _easier_. "Eminence, we put these Trainees through all of this rigorous training for a reason," he exclaimed. "We have to see if they can handle the stress of being one of us. You know this, and have never interfered. In fact, you have done it yourself. Why are you interfering now?"

"Because we need to get ready for war, or the prevention of said war and that means we need Guardians immediately," Alania replied, just about ready to smack the bastard. "The mortals are going to need every all powerful soldier they can get on their side. Besides, Wheeler and Linka have already gone through trials that would have broken most. Cutting them a little slack in this instance is not such a bad idea. Especially considering the fact that if Sakar manages to destroy Earth, we lose a pillar world, thus losing one of the Big Ten." She glared at him. "So make it somewhat easier for them, unless you want me to go, Tieranos. And I know you don't want me going there."

Now, Alania had been around for a very long time. Only the Pantheon and Akalon had been around longer, proverbially speaking. So she had had a great deal of time to learn everything there was to know about reading another person, regardless o the species. Every tic of the body, every shift in their facial expression. She knew them all.

And right now, she could see the slight droop in his expression as her words registered. He knew what she would do if she got involved. As the only Guardian who was not bound by the limitations of their kind, though she followed the rules out of principle, she could end the trial with a single flick of her wrist, declare them the victors, and hand them their weapons right there and then. And really, she wasn't asking for much; just to make the trial somewhat easier.

"Very well, Eminence," he said at long last. "I will remove the mental test from their trial. But I still think that it's a mistake."

Alania grinned in triumph, knowing she had won. "Tieranos, I can live with a mistake," she said. "So long as it doesn't get people killed."

* * *

**Pocket Dimension**

Linka took a look around, her ears perking up slightly. "Do any of you hear that?" she asked suddenly.

Wheeler frowned thoughtfully, straining to hear something, anything out of the ordinary. "No," he replied. "I've got nothing. Just our echoes in this stupid chamber."

They had finally entered a massive cavern within the mountain, but only after tripping over various pieces of debris that had been littered all over for the better part of a day. It was becoming apparent that the mountain, despite being massive, was also hollow at its base, allowing for a whole lot of room.

It also meant that whenever they spoke, they were subjected to an echo, which made it a great deal more difficult to track actual sound.

"Everybody, be quiet," the Fire Planeteer finally hissed, his eyes narrowing. "Now I think I heard something. Something rattling."

"Like a rattlesnake?"  
"Exactly."

The Voyeur and Elric brought their spears up, looking around as they obeyed. The echoes died down at once, plunging them into silent darkness. And after a moment, lo and behold, they heard the same thing; a faint rattling sound in the distance.

The four of them went back to back, scanning the surround for a possible threat. They tensed, not saying a word, but knowing what the others were thinking. There was nothing that could be said, and really, they were trying to figure out where the sound was emanating from.

It would be Elric that figured it out, though it took him a while. The rattling grew closer, louder and stronger, but they saw nothing appearing. Then it was right on top of them, and still they saw nothing.

"Is it invisible?" the Voyeur asked, poking at the air in front of him.

"Not unless it is also immaterial," Linka replied, using her ring to send a shockwave of wind outward. It hit the distant walls without even slowing down. "And it would have attacked us by now."

"So where the hell is it?" Wheeler growled, a blade of fire appearing in his hand.

Elric tapped the ground underneath them in an attempt to gain a reaction, thinking it was underground. When the rattling continued unabated, he looked up. "Found it," he said after a moment. "and it sits right above us."

The other three slowly looked up, catching sight of something out of their very nightmares. And it would be something that Wheeler was deathly afraid of, wouldn't it?

It was a massive snake. And it was staring down at them, massive rattler shaking back and forth. Its body was coiled tightly around the largest stalactites there, muscles rippling.

"No one make any sudden moves," Linka hissed quietly to the rest of them. "No one move, period. Let it make the first move."

The snake chose that exact moment to suddenly drop from its perch, aiming right at Wheeler. Of course, being afraid of snakes and seeing that it was coming right at him, he did the only sane thing that any person could do.

He quickly got out of the way, while lashing out at it.

The snake couldn't let out a roar when something managed to break through its skin. In fact, it had been created to be nothing more _than_ a rattlesnake, all the way down to its rattle, so it didn't have the capability to roaring its pain. It was made to look scarier with a few cosmetic changes here and there, but for the most part, it was just a rattlesnake enlarged.

Linka was quickly reminded of Wheeler's fear as he backpedaled, the snake slithering forward after him, and moved to draw its attention. She charged at the creature, the two elves following right behind her, yelling and hollering at the top of her lungs. She seemed to recall that rattlesnakes only shook their rattle when they thought they were in danger. She hoped that was the case here, too.

The snake felt the vibrations on the ground, its rattle starting to go even faster as it coiled up, trying to warn the potential threat away. When that didn't work, it turned around to attack them. Not Linka's smartest plan, but it was effective.

Fortunately, the elves had already split in opposite directions, thus creating three individual targets instead of one large one. Whichever one it went after, the other two would immediately attack from two other sides.

Thus the snake was trying to watch them all at once; a rather difficult thing to do for any species, regardless of how they evolved. And, while it was nothing more than a giant rattlesnake, it did suffer from one disadvantage; its size. It couldn't maneuver well in the cavern, despite the size of the room itself.  
Unfortunately, as they would soon discover, its size also made it far more difficult to kill than a regular size snake.

Wheeler finally managed to get some distance between him and his giant sized fear, and calmed down enough to look at their situation with a somewhat more level head. He had the suspicion that whoever put this thing in here knew of his phobia, and was using it to their advantage. But for what reason? Just standing up to it wasn't enough of a reason. What were they thinking? What was the plan?

And why did he have a bad feeling about the whole situation?

Elric was having the same feeling, though for entirely different reasons.

He had watched as the snake had immediately gone after the Fire Warrior, and found that curious. The vibrations it had made upon hitting the ground would have been more than sufficient to cover the vibrations their feet had made. And even though they hunted by smell, there was no way for it to distinguish between the two humans. And really, since when did wild animals recognize their prey? Something else had to be in play here.

Finding answers could wait for later. In the meantime, he began poking at the snake's hide, trying to get its attention. He was successful in that regard, as was the Voyeur and Linka. The creature had no idea which direction to turn, and it kept the focus off of Wheeler, who was trying to recollect himself.

Sadly, they weren't really able to do much damage to it. Its skin was already tough to begin with, considering the fact that it slithered along the ground. Add in its size, and it might as well have been wearing a coat of armor.

While they were discovering this little tidbit, the snake had finally decided which of the nuisances it was going to eat first. It shot forward like a dart, aiming at Linka.

Linka promptly began backpedaling, still jabbing at its head, forcing it to rear back. "Now I know why Wheeler hates these things!" she grumbled. "They do not stop coming when they want food!" A sword appeared in her other hand, and she slashed at it.

It was about as effective as a needle, and probably hurt just as much. The blade had caught the snake on its bottom jaw, cutting through its skin. That was all it did, though, even as the snake reared back again.

And then it rose up, arching down towards her.

"Shit!" She brought both weapons up, ready to stick it on the tongue many times, until it got the hint that she wasn't edible. She didn't know if it would work, but she didn't really have any other options open to her.

The mouth opened, like a cavernous maw into the abyss. Its fangs were directly proportionate to its size, and dripped with either saliva or venom from its sacs. It remained in place for a moment longer, than came down, like a tree.

Something suddenly into her from her left side, knocking her out of the way. Confused, she quickly assumed that it was Elric, cause he had gone in that direction. The spike of terror that went through her mind told her otherwise, as did her two eyes when she turned around.

It was Wheeler. Apparently, his love for her was great than his fear of legless, slithering reptiles. He had suddenly put on a burst of speed, and charged forward. Whether he had a plan, or was acting out of instinct to protect his soulmate, was not immediately clear. She could sense his emotions, not his thoughts.

The snake's mouth closed in around him, without a hint of triumph in its soul. It was just an animal, eating its meal after all. There were no evil intentions here.

However, because it was just an animal, obeying instincts that were eons old, it didn't realize that the person it was trying to eat, did indeed have a plan. And it was a relatively simple, though risky venture.

Before Linka could even scream out his name in terror, before the elves could even begin to comprehend the reality of the situation, the situation changed once again... as did the snake. It became shorter.

That unto itself would normally not be a problem. Almost any creature could survive such a blow, though whether or not they survived a predator later on was up for debate. However, there was one detail that made this particular snake's survival less than possible.

Its head was what it lost, and in a rather spectacular fashion. It exploded like it had swallowed a bomb, sending both shock waves and snake matter across the cavern, and knocking the other three onto their backs. The body swayed for a moment, then collapsed, tail twitching somewhat pathetically.

Wheeler propped himself onto his elbows, shaking his head. He was covered from head to toe in saliva, which was actually kind of lucky for him, considering where he had been a mere moment ago. He was just happy that he had the presence of mind to utilize his ring, as well as remembering the closed fist over firecracker story he had heard once.

Linka slowly stood up, shaking herself off, then heading over to him. It looked like he had gotten over his fear of snakes, just for her. "Uh... Wheeler?" she asked after making sure that she wasn't hurt. "Are you alright?"

"I'm slimy, but yeah, I'm alright," he replied.

"Good... _are you insane?_"

"God, I hope not. Otherwise, that wouldn't have worked."

Elric stared at the headless corpse of the snake, unable to grasp just how quickly it had ended. "I do not understand," he got out. "How did... how did you do it?"

Wheeler stood up, wiping his face clean. "I'll tell ya later... but can we get out of here, please? I don't like these things when they're alive. I like 'em even less, when they're dead."

On second thought, maybe her first thought was right on the money. He loved her more than he hated snakes.

* * *

**Deep Space, _Scimitar_**

"The Remans have been amassing within these restricted sections?" Bre-tac asked.

"Indeed," Zephyer replied, his tricorder in front of him as they moved down the corridor. He was using it as an early warning system to avoid the security patrols, and it had worked so far. "Whatever Dardos is planning, he is making sure that it is kept from the non-Remans of his crew. It probably won't be in the main computer either, and accessing it will prove problematic at best."

"And impossible at worst."

"Yes." The lieutenant peered around a corner, pressing a control on his tricorder. "As we get closer to the closed off section, there will be more and more detection devices activated. Motion, heat, and brainwave sensors will be monitoring every single meter of the corridor. There will be guards, possibly under orders to kill first, ask questions later. Simply walking into the sector is not a viable option."

"What other choice is there?" Bre-tac asked, looking behind himself. "Do we walk along the ship's hull?"

Zephyer grinned. "That is precisely why we are on this level," he replied. "There are environmental suits here, as well as an airlock. The boots can be magnetized so we can walk along the hull without floating away. We simply walk to a hatch within the restricted section, and enter through there. They will not be expecting that."

"Of course." The Jaffa didn't have space suits, and the Tauri's were bulky implements that required a great deal of power to use, and tended to limit the use of their arms for actual battle. So he didn't know what to expect with Sunak technology.

Zephyer smirked. "Do not worry, Jaffa Master," he said. "You will be most impressed with ours. That much, I can assure you."

Dardos observed the reports from Engineering, nodding to himself in satisfaction. The added energy transfer was going along smoothly, and wouldn't permanently impact the ship's efficiency. And the best news was that the Engineereing crew bought his explanation of a science experiment. If they hadn't, then there was a good chance he would have been killed by now.

Oh, there was an experiment going on, but it wasn't scientific in nature. It was the culmination of over fifty years of research, and it was ready for use. All he had to do was give the Praetor a reason to not halt the invasion, and he would be all set.

Of course, his Master had told him to disobey if it came to that. And he always obeyed his Master. The humans had to die.

A new report suddenly appeared on his screen, one concerning their 'guests.' A knot appeared in his stomach as he accessed it, reading the brief, if relatively panicked report.

He rose up, heading for his office. Once inside and at his desk, he punched in a secret command code, one that would link him to his Chief Warrior Officer. "They have essssscaped," he said quietly, so the rest of the bridge crew didn't hear him. "Find them. Capture them alive. We cannot have the Praetor here, not when we are sssssssso closssssse." He shut the connection down, before rubbing his serpentine eyes. If Shar-Ti found out what he was doing here, there was going to be a public execution that would disgrace the Reman people for four generations.

If it reached that point, he would have to kill Shar-Ti... and take over. In fact, the more he thought about it, the better it sounded.

* * *

_**Crusher, **_**Main Duel Room**

Six members of the two crews stood in attendance, to bear witness to the battle. On one side, Commander Sheeyal led the the _Crusher_ contingent of warriors. For the _Enterprise_, Captain Archer, accompanied by Major Hayes, Lieutenant Reed, and four MACOS who had beamed over, all armed. It was a ceremonial display of force that really did nothing but make both combatants somewhat at ease, knowing that they had moral support. Both sides were also silent, as the challenge dictated.

One of the two doors leading into the room opened, revealing Susan Pevensie. The changes to her were startling. No bow and quiver full of arrows this time around. She was wearing what looked like a leather battle dress, the kind worn by archers during the Dark Ages. Her hair was now tied behind her head, so as to afford her limited distractions. A weapon belt was strapped to her waist, and there, in an intricately designed scabbard, was her weapon of choice; a sword.

Archer felt a shiver run up his spine as he took her in. She was right about one thing; this was not a Gentle Queen. This was a warrior, and a damn good one from the looks of it.

The other door opened, revealing Karken. And he looked ready for war. His battle armor was more akin to what a close range combatant was supposed to wear; designed to protect the vital organs from any kind of close range weapon. It looked rather intimidating, too, and was probably supposed to be.

Archer watched as both warriors stepped within the circle, and understood what that meant. No words would be spoken until first blows had been dealt. There was no formal declaration of combat, no chance to rescind the claim. You just fought, and didn't stop until one of you finally stopped moving.

There was a bit of a moment, when the two bowed to one another in mutual respect. Susan unsheathed Rhindon, a hum seemingly coming from the steel.

Karken pulled out a scimitar type blade from his back scabbard, holding it up. It was clear that it had seen battle, but was well taken care of. He brought it into a battle position.

And then they moved as one.

* * *

Here is Chapter Forty, ready for your inspection. My apologies for the delay, but it's really difficult to find the words for what you want to put down.

Okay, time for updates; I have begun typing out Part Thirteen to Silver Star Story, and it's off to a good start. I have also decided to add the Chipmunks and Chipettes to Trinity, as I have a rough idea of what I want to do. But it will be a while before I'm ready with tat, so it will be going back to Tru and Caroline with Chapter Eight. I hope to have that out eventually.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty One**

**Pocket Realm**

"Has anyone noticed that we have not come across any other monsters in quite a while?" the Voyeur asked, his gaze darting back and forth, just in case he had jinxed them. "Tis as if they have all fled from our presence."

"_Da_, it is strange," Linka commented, looking around as well, futile though it was. The faint light of Wheeler's ring was just that; faint. Any stronger, and it might bring their problems right to them. No light at all, they would be running into everything around them. But it didn't mean that their problems couldn't see in the dark.

"I don't care. If they aren't coming, then I'm not going to complain." Wheeler grinned. "Besides, I don't mind just coasting to the finish line. It'd save us a whole lot of time."

They all agreed there on that. They all wanted out of here quickly, before it became their home.

Of course, the Gods themselves were not on their side today, it seemed. For no sooner did Wheeler state that, a new sound reached their ears, growing louder with each passing moment.

Linka felt her skin crawl. "Please tell me that it is not what I think it is," she moaned.

The Voyeur turned his head slightly. "Sadly, I cannot oblige thee," he replied. "Tis the sound of many little feet, scrabbling across the floor. And they are getting closer."

"Rats, or mice." The Fire Planeteer quickly grabbed his partner, and ushered her over to the side, where a ledge was located. He remembered very well how much she hated rats. "Okay, babeushka, up you go. Elric, you and Mister Voyeur here are next."

Linka took note of the ledge, that it was both narrow, but not dangerously so. She took note that the three of them on it took up quite a bit of room, which left no room for her counterpart.

And her counterpart was looking around, trying to find another place to get up. Finding none, he whirled back towards the wall, and frowned thoughtfully.

Suddenly, he leaped up, a tendril of fire erupting from his ring. The tendril lashed out to the ceiling, grabbing hold of one of the stalactites... and not destroying it in the process. The line held too, as he came to end of his jump and fell back.

His action came not a moment too soon, as a horde of little critters suddenly stampeded into the cavern, eyes glowing red. They stopped as one, sniffing the area, turning around and around in little circles.

Linka watched them carefully, repressing a shudder as they scurried around in circles, trying to locate them. It looked like this group would be slightly harder to deal with than the snake, as they had a modicum of intelligence. Not to mention the fact that they were many small animals, as opposed to just one very large creature. They would be able to turn very well.

Elric watched the rats as they looked around, obviously aware that someone was there, but unable to find them. He found that to be of small comfort. He just wished they would leave before his legs gave out.

Wheeler watched them for a moment longer, before looking at Linka. Through their link, she felt his gaze, and looked up. He looked into the distance, letting her know what he was thinking without saying anything. It took her a moment, but she realized what he wanted. She nodded in understanding.

The Voyeur frowned at that, wondering what they had planned. He had never seen a conversation where no words were exchanged. But they were Trainees. Perhaps they had a connection that went beyond simple conversation.

Suddenly, a distant sound of rock moving caught everyone's attention. It certainly got the rat's attention, as they suddenly all turned as one in that direction, streaming out of the area like a wave. No one moved until the scrabbling had faded somewhat.

Sighing, Wheeler slowly lowered himself to the ground, making sure that he didn't generate a great deal of noise upon landing. "Well, that was fun," he muttered. "Good work, Linka."

Linka nodded in thanks, proud of her quick thinking. She had had no idea that she had the ability to manipulate the winds from such a distance, but she was glad she could. It certainly made things a whole lot easier for them. "I hate rats," she stated to them all.

"Thou are not alone," the Voyeur replied for them all.

It had heard the sound of loose rock moving, and had come to investigate, only to discover than it had been a decoy. And, while it couldn't be impressed by anything, it could still be frustrated. It was hungry.

But then, the predator heard the sound of scrabbling of little feet over rock, and snarled low in its throat in anticipation. It looked like it was going to be getting a snack along the way, if the sound was getting closer to it. It would help satiate it hunger, even if only for a moment.

Of course, its feral instincts also took note of the fact that they seemed to be rather numerous. They could prove to be a nuisance if not dealt with quickly. So, its instincts took full hold... if they had ever loosened their hold over it in the first place.

As soon as the rats came within range, the predator's mouth opened... and widened, like that of a snake. Which, considering who had created it, was not surprising. She did take her time perfecting this one, ensuring that it could take whatever was thrown at it and come back for more. It had only one setting; search and destroy. And it did its job very well.

The hunter practically began shoveling every single rat that came within range into its maw, swallowing them whole without effort. Others that managed to avoid that fate found themselves squashed under its feet. Most of them managed to evade either fate, but that didn't matter. It was just getting a snack.

After several moments of vacuuming, the mouth shrank back to its original size. It stayed for a moment, while its meal quickly digested, before heading off again, being drawn unerringly to its prey.

* * *

**Scimitar**

Bre-tac had to admit; the Sunak had a few things going for them. Chief among them was their development of space suits.

The Goa'uld had not created such devices themselves, having had no need for them. If the Jaffa had to do any kind of repair work to their ships, then the vessel simply landed on a planet, and the workers did the grunt work. If the ship couldn't land, then it was abandoned, then destroyed to ensure that no technology fell into the hands of their enemies, or it was booby trapped for the expressed purpose of destroying their enemies.

But the Sunak Confederation, who were mostly a space faring race and whose maintenance of their fleet was legendary, had to be able to repair their ships without planets, and so needed a way to do it. Hence, an EVA suit. It allowed them to walk allow the hull of their ship without difficulty by use of gravity boots. So long as some kind of force didn't tear them from the hull, they would be free to conduct any repairs that they needed to.

But the one thing that he discovered was the fact that, like any kind of profession, training was a must.

_Remember this one thing,"_ Zephyer had stated as they suited up, after knocking the officers on duty out._ "The suits have only a limited amount of oxygen, so we must be hasty. Not only that, but the suit will make you feel like you are in a self formed bubble, which in essence, you are. Remember to regulate your breathing at all times. Do not panic, and follow me."_

He was beginning to understand why. It was somewhat claustrophobic in this suit. He felt like he had been put into a sarcophagus for no reason at all. He was eternally thankful that he was a warrior, and knew to regulate his body's involuntary functions, and that he had no fear of enclosed places. Otherwise, this would have been far more difficult.

Zephyer was right next to him, helping him along with his steps. Because of the boots, it was slow going. Every step was methodical. Every move, precise... and difficult, due to the magnetic fields on both heels. He was in a weightless environment, after all. If he looked up, he would see the endless expanse of space. If his boots failed, then he would float off into that expanse, with no hope of return.

Thankfully, that was not to be, as they reached their destination without incident. Zephyer immediately accessed airlock controls, punching in an override code so they could enter. Once the door was opened, they deactivated their boots, and pulled themselves inside, closing the door behind them. A another code was punched in, wiping the report from the databanks before it could be saved.

Bre-tac took his helmet off the moment the pressure had equalized, taking in a deep breath of relief. "I now know what the Tauri must feel like whenever they go on a space walk," he said. "A combination of fear and excitement."

"For the same thing," Zephyer agreed, shedding his suit like it was something he had done before. And he probably had. "Space itself. Its wonders and dangers. And yet, they still go forward, forever pushing the boundaries placed upon them. Captain Archer and his crew are a testament to their spirit."

"Indeed." The Jaffa Master managed to extricate himself from his suit, straightening his armor so it did not chaff him in certain areas. "Where are we?"

"Deck Ten, Section Five. We will need to walk a ways to get to where we need. Unfortunately, this is the closest airlock. Are you up for it?"

Bre-tac nodded, his symbiote already regulating his functions so that there was no weakness. "I have just walked across the hull of a ship for the first time," he replied. "A walk through a corridor will seem tame in comparison."

With those words, they began their journey towards the source of the Reman buildup.

**Crusher**

In a time of guns, energy based weapons, and Stargates, the use of blades had become a practice reserved for historians throughout many of the civilizations in the galaxy. Why get close to your opponent when you can just point and shoot from a distance? It's not as if you would ever see the person you were killing.

But the Sunak Confederation did more than just take care of their ships, preserving each vessel they made with exquisite skill. They also preserved the ancient art of war for moments like this. It was their way of preserving their planet's history with more than just words and holograms, with artifacts and stories. This was a link to their past; a link that they would never release. It was a practice that was embraced enthusiastically by every race that joined their ever expanding web.

It was an attitude shared by Susan Pevensie.

During the reign of the Kings and Queens of Old, Susan had been an expert archer. Her skills with a bow and arrow had been legendary. None could challenge her, either in battle or in tournament. No matter what the target, stationary or moving, she could hit it perfectly every time, in the exact spot she had aimed at.

But, unlike her siblings, Susan had been more diplomat than warrior, more steady rock than drifting wind. The number of battles she had actually participated in were fewer than even her sister Lucy, and Lucy had been in few battles. She had sometimes wondered why that was, but realized that it was because Peter had understood each of their strengths, and used them to their fullest. Hers had lain with administration and diplomacy... at the time.

After her self imposed exile in Tibet, that had changed. As a way of reconnecting with Narnia, she had taken dueling lessons, to better understand the sword she had been given. In a way, she began to better understand the world she had come to know as home.

A state of mind that she shared with her opponent, who she was also beginning to understand. She just wasn't sure whether or not that was a good thing.

Steel clashed in the room, as the two in question battled for dominance.

Archer, who was a space explorer first, had normally fought with his fists and a phase pistol at the ready. He was no stranger to hand to hand combat, as it had always been a part of military training for as long as mankind had protected themselves from each other and others. But as the people evolved, so did the weapons, as well as the methods of combat. Swords and bows, they belonged in the Dark Ages. Their day was done.

And yet, he was beginning to realize that such an archaic form of battle was not so archaic. He was seeing it firsthand as two equally matched opponents did battle. And he was beginning to understand his own people's past a little better because of it.

He remembered his mother once telling him that plasma pistols, torpedoes, even the old fashion weapons of the Twentieth Century, were nothing more than tools. They could kill or wound people far more quickly, but they didn't require you to see the person you were killing. They were soulless, not requiring any real training, and a minimum of time to use.

A sword, or any close range weapon on the other hand... they required a person to actually know what they were doing. They required you to be near your opponent, to be fully versed in correct use, and a considerable amount of discipline. And, unlike a gun, you could decided the rules of engagement. Learning how to duel helped build character, and truly showed what you were like on the inside.

It also showed you how others were like as well.

Karken's experience in war came from his long period of service with the fleet. He had been in five engagements by the time he was a lieutenant, and he had been involved in various duels over the many years of his career.

But Susan had a few crafty trainers of her own; the wars she had been in more recently in her young life, as well as the battles in Narnia that she had participated in. And she was willing to pit that experience against any man's.

Karken performed a series of thrusts against her, trying to force her back. She managed to angle each strike away from her, not moving a step in any direction. Her own return volley was met with equally dismal success. He was using a far larger blade, but he was using it rather well. It was probably because of his larger and obviously stronger frame.

He had gained the same level of understanding in this, the opening volley. And he was pleasantly surprised. He had always believed that Narnia's people were backwards in their way of thinking, including the art of war. He was happy to see that he was wrong. And this woman was definitely something else. She was a warrior.

He bowed to her respectfully, blade angled just right. "You are better than I anticipated," he said. "And I thought I was going to have to have an easy fight."

Susan smirked, her own blade shifting ever so slightly to the side. "What a fascinating coincidence," she replied. "I was thinking the same thing about you. I'm happy I was wrong."

And then the fight began in earnest.

Reed watched with wide eyes as Susan moved forward with the speed of a hunter, Rhindon flicking out like a viper. He was a pretty good fighter if he did say so himself, but this was just one more thing that made him look like a clumsy child. This was combat on a whole different level, especially when Karken easily blocked the attacks with negligent flicks of his own blade. His breath caught at the deadly beauty both warriors possessed as they moved. It was like watching a clip of Earth's past.

Sheeyal was just as awed, but for completely different and far more terrifying reasons. She had taken note of Susan's style, and she was quickly coming to the conclusion that she could actually beat her love in battle. There was age to her, age and experience that was belied with how young she appeared to them. Age and experience, more than he had. And she had power, was accustomed to it, if her regal stance was of an indication.

In short, this Susan Pevensie thought she could defeat Karken. And Sheeyal was starting to think the same thing.

What was this woman? _Who_ was she?

The answers would wait for a less dangerous time, as the fighting became even more intense. Slashes, jabs, thrusts were parried and riposted. Punches and kicks delivered, blocked or dodged, and returned. No quarter asked, none given.

Karken was working up quite a sweat, and was a tad frustrated. His opponent's armor, while it looked like leather and chain mail, was as tough as the hide of _furegor_. Her sword was also unnaturally strong, as strong as his own, and probably just as difficult to destroy. He would need to end this quickly, if that was possible.

Susan was having similar thoughts concerning him. Every strike she had actually managed to land on his armor had proved useless, skittering off a material as hard as mythril. And every time she tried to strike at one of the weak spots she had located, he managed to deflect it before it could land. And she _still_ hadn't been able to get a very good look at his back, meaning she had an incomplete picture of his defenses. She needed to try another tactic and fast.

The two combatants broke away from one another, eyeing one another warily as they tried to reclaim their breath. Both of them were trembling slightly from their efforts, though neither one was injured. And they were both thinking hard as to what they were going to do.

Karken opted to break the silence between them. He was as frustrated as hell, but impressed nonetheless with Susan's prowess. Never before had he come across a warrior of her caliber before. "I am curious as to why you have not revealed yourself sooner to the world," he said. "Your skills would have done your people justice."

"And I would have to fend off everyone who wanted to take a crack at me," Susan replied after a moment, shaking her arms out. Despite being virtually immortal, she could still feel pain. And Karken was pretty strong. He knew how to use his sword, and with lethal intent. "Thanks, but the idea was that no one would know who I was. Now thanks to your invasion, I've had no choice." She brought Rhindon up, the metal blade shining in the light. "Now, are we going to get back to fighting, or is this going to turn into a discussion?"

"Fair enough." His own blade rose once, and he charged forward.

Archer turned towards Reed, who was very quiet. "How long do you think they'll keep this up?" he whispered.

"Until they both fall due to exhaustion," Reed replied. "Which may take a while, considering what we know of their combat conditioning." He hoped that Susan found a way to win the fight, before that happened.

Warriors like them deserved better than a double count out. One of them deserved to win, and prove themselves the better fighter.

**The**_** Scimitar**_

Dardos observed the fleet move into final position, and nodded to himself in satisfaction. The fleet would soon be ready for its proverbial march across space towards their goal. Every vessel was accounted for. Soon, the _Scimitar_ would be joining them, and he would assume control over the _Crusher_.

Not that he had anything against Commander Karken. Quite the opposite, in fact. As a full blooded Sunakian, he had more reason to hate the Death Dealer than most, as his direct ancestors were the rulers of his planet two thousand years ago, before the Death Dealer's coming. He was a supreme warrior, and master tactician, and the finest example of his species, as he had to be. And he was loyal, and honorable to a fault.

And that was the problem right there; honor. Honor had helped lead to Sunak IV's destruction in the first place. The people had revered their two spirits, and thus had allowed Sakar onto their world without any resistance. It was a mistake that he knew had haunted and would haunt their descendants for many centuries to come. Even if they destroyed the Death Dealer, they wouldn't be able to change that one irrefutable fact.

But even after all of that, Karken was one who would spare a life if he thought it went against his grain, or if it was in the best interests of the Confederation. He didn't just follow orders, and that was something Dardos didn't need at that moment. He needed those who would obey.

In the end though, it simply didn't matter. Karken may command the oldest and most legendary vessel of the Sunak fleet, but he was also still just that; a commander. There was nothing he could do to stop the oncoming storm.

His communication officer suddenly hissed, which caught his attention immediately. He turned around.

His fellow Reman did not wait long to respond. "Incoming messssssssage from the _Crusher_. It ssssseemssssss we have a little problem..." And then he proceeded to tell him just what that problem was.

Perhaps he was a bit premature when he thought that there was nothing Karken could do to stop it.

Bre-tac decided that the old adage was true; Ignorance was bliss.

Their journey had been slow, but surprisingly clear of any obstacles. The corridor was also conspicuously empty of personnel, which told them much of what was going on. It wasn't to their liking.

And now; this.

There was a massive device of some sort located at the center of a massive room on Deck Five, one that looked like it had been added to the ship while it was being built. There were pipes connected to it, branching off to either side. And, though neither one of them had an idea what it was for, they both had the suspicion that it was part a weapon. It was meant to be used.

Zephyer looked around, trying to locate a console, and finding none, pulled his tricorder out. "Whatever this metal is, it's interfering with my tricorder," he murmured. "But I can tell you that this is meant to hold some kind of radiation, if I am reading this correctly."

"Radiation?" Bre-tac frowned, confused. "This vessel has enough weapons of its own to raze a continent without assistance. It has a fleet of ships ready to launch an assault upon the Earth, an assault that will wipe all life off of it if successful. What could it possibly need radiation for?"

"A more effective means of killing people, which is at the core of what a Reman is." The Telazian put his device away. "This is what their species does; they find new ways to kill someone, just because they want it to be faster. Now, fortunately, it looks as though they have not received any of... whatever it is that they are developing, which means we can find a way to sabotage this without worrying about it getting loose."

"But how?"

"... … Fair question. I wish I had an answer for you."

The Jaffa Master turned to look at the far end of the room, and blinked. "There is an observation window here," he stated, making his way over to it. Zephyer followed, confused.

The confusion cleared as they both looked out of it, and was quickly replaced with concern.

There, putting together what looked to be a massive robot, were more than a hundred Remans, moving about like snakes. And they were doing so with haste, meaning that they had to be ready by the time the fleet began to move.

On the other side, there were Remans undergoing drills. Weapons were being inspected, enough to run a small war. All in all, not a wonderful sight for anyone who wanted to avoid war.

"It would appear that Dardos is going to launch the assault, regardless of what happens in the challenge," Bre-tac mused, feeling a swell of anger begin to form.

"Yes, but why?" Zephyer asked, aghast at this. "What purpose would it serve to defy the law? … Unless..."

"Unless... what?"

"Unless he is getting orders from a higher power. One of the true gods in the universe..."

"True gods?"

Zephyer suddenly remembered who he was talking to, of the beings that had enslaved the Jaffa, and grimaced. "My apologies, Master Bre-tac. You do not know what I speak of. It was an old folk lore of many races that was proven true four decades ago by our scientists." He sighed, trying to understand how he could speak of this to one whose view of the gods was so grounded in lies. "According to the ancient scriptures of my people, the true gods are beings that are charged with the regular maintenance of our plane of existence. It is said that each god created lesser forms of themselves, forms that were to guide mortals through our early days, at the dawn of civilization. And, as we moved away, they returned to their creators, no longer needed. The Goa'uld fed off that myth, and used it to their own ends." His gaze shifted. "But... about a century ago, cults began to form around the one the Remans called Goas, dark lord of the Underworld. And when they did, it became apparent that many of them were being led astray from what we had been teaching them." His gaze grew pensive. "We had believed that they were simply following the commands of a false deity, like your people did for thousands of years... but then, as I have already stated, we discovered proof that they were real."

Because... forty years ago, you finally discovered alternate worlds," Bre-tac replied, as it became apparent when this happened. "Did you discover what your Goas looked like?"

"... No, we did not. But that was because he did not meet with our leaders," Zephyer replied. "Another did. A being who, despite her power, was as kind and as gentle as newborn _Corva_ cub." He sighed. "They did not give us her name, but they did say that she gave us hope."

"That the Death Dealer would be dealt with."

"Yes."

Bre-tac nodded, looking down at the army-in-training. "It would appear that this group does not believe her," he said after a moment. "If anything, this Goas seems to have told them to destroy Earth, no matter what happens. But why?"

Zephyer frowned. It was a good question, and one that he couldn't answer. There were too many questions like that these days. "Sabotage will have to wait," he decided. "How about we get off of this ship, and we return to the _Crusher_? We may find the answers we seek there."

Dardos was no longer happy.

First came the news from his spy on the _Crusher_, concerning the _Voran_ challenge being issued by a human. That was quite surprising, if not downright shocking. To think that they had that kind of knowledge. It made him wonder just how much they knew about the Confederation as a whole. But while shocking, it changed nothing in the long run. Karken was their finest warrior for a reason. He would win, and their warrior would die.

No, it was the latest development that had a chance of changing the playing field. Both Zephyer and Bre-tac were missing from their 'quarters,' which meant that they knew something was up, and had escaped. They had most likely found their way to the restricted sections of the ship by now. They would have seen his brother Remans preparing for war, as well as the still empty thalaron holding tank. And, if he understood a soldier's mind correctly, they would be trying to find a way off of the ship, to get to the _Crusher_. The only question was; how?

It didn't take him long to have the answer to that. It was simple, really.

He turned his seat towards his security officer. "Have sssssssssecurity possssssted in every transsssporter room and shuttle bay. If Zephyer and the Jaffa reveal themselves, they have authorization to usssssse lethal forcccccce."

His security chief nodded, relaying the orders. He was loyal. He would obey... even if he didn't understand. Then again, he didn't need to understand. He didn't have to see the big picture.

He would not fail Lord Goas. Not when victory was within his grasp.

"It seems that they are onto us," Bre-tac noted calmly.

Zephyer was forced to agree. He couldn't even begin to understand how quickly Dardos had moved, nor how quickly he was able to react. Then again, he probably should have. No one reached the rank of Grand Admiral without being quick on the uptake.

The shuttle bay was almost swarming with security personnel, all of them searching every single nook and cranny of the cavernous room, trying to find them. There were two guards standing in front of his shuttle, which would make getting to it a rather royal pain.

Bre-tac observed this latest wrinkle with a detachment that he had learned over the many decades of his life, nodding to himself. "Is there a way for us to create a distraction?" he asked quietly, if only to remove it as an option.

Zephyer shook his head. "Even if we managed to get the security detail to move further away from the ship, we would still have to contend with the shuttle bay technician on duty," he replied. "And by the time we managed to get close enough incapacitate him, he would have already erected a force field around both ship and hanger bay door. We would not be able to deactivate it before security took us down." His gaze shifted a little. "However, I think I may have a way to get in, all the same."

"How?"

"We will have to get to the other side of the shuttle bay, which will be difficult, but not impossible. There is a cargo transporter there. If I can modify the pattern buffer, I can make it safe enough for us to use."

Bre-tac nodded. "And if you cannot?"

Zephyer sighed. "There will then be a strong possibility that we shall either be shot, or our molecules will be spread out across this entire sector of space... if we are lucky."

The Jaffa Master nodded, mulling it over for a moment. He didn't particularly like that option, but they were low on choices. "How much time do you need?" he asked finally.

"... About twenty minutes."

"Then let us make haste. I doubt we will be able to come up with another plan within that time span that will stand a chance of succeeding."

"A cargo transporter was just activated in the Hanger," Tactical reported. "Two life signs detected. Attempting to... I am sorry, Admiral. I couldn't stop transport."

"Override codes have been entered," the Chief Operations Officer reported. "The shuttle door is opening and the force field is shutting down." He looked up. "That means..."

"That Lieutenant Zephyer isssssss one of the Praetor'sssssss agentssssssss," Dardos hissed, realizing that there was literally nothing he could do, short of destroying the Lieutenant's ship. And that would raise far too many questions from the capital. And the last thing they needed was Shar-Ti getting involved. Not at this moment. He would deal with the human, but only after he had sufficient prestige and successes under his belt to successfully perform a coup.

"Send word to the Reman commandersssssss of the invasion fleet," he ordered. "Tell them to get ready to move! Earth must be destroyed before their spiritsssssss come for usssssss!"

_**Crusher**_

"How long has this been going on without rest?" Archer asked quietly.

Reed sighed. "About fifteen minutes," he answered. "With no discernible advantage to either person."

Indeed, Reed, a soldier and fighter in his own right, was spot on accurate as usual, as Susan and Karken, while tiring, were still evenly matched. And neither one was going to give up until the other fell. Which, things being what they were, was going to take a while.

Susan finally disengaged once more, wiping the sweat off of her face. This was getting ridiculous, even for her. She knew for a fact that she had limits, and she had been extending those as much as she possibly could over the last few decades. But really; was Karken really that determined to win? Or was it just a matter of honor that he kept going? _'Probably both,'_ she thought as she circled him.

Her eyes caught sight of something that they hadn't before, mostly because she had never had the chance to check his back. It looked like another weakness in his defense, but it was difficult for her to actually see it. And it would be even more difficult for her to utilize this new found information. But it could be done... if timed correctly.

Karken started tracking her movements, noting how exhaustion seemed to closing its grip over her senses. He wasn't faring much better himself, but he was still alert as to his environment. Just not as fast. He would have to be extra careful.

Reed's eyes widened a little as Susan began backing up somewhat, blade down. But it didn't look like she was retreating. More like giving herself some more space to maneuver in. It was clear that she had seen something, and was trying to employ a a strategy. But what strategy was there that she could do that Karken couldn't counter?

Suddenly, the woman surged forward, with a burst of speed that none of them believed that she could be capable of, aiming directly for Karken. It was a kamikaze move, and one that had no chance of succeeding. It looked like she was going for a Hail Mary play.

Karken immediately braced himself, ready to move at the last moment. He had to time it perfectly, or she would hit him like a rampaging _gilda_. And, he did so just before the tip of the blade could penetrate his chest plate... only to realize that he had fallen into her trap.

Susan, the moment she was past him, suddenly swung her blade behind her, flicking just right so that only its tip hit the latch to his helmet. It promptly opened, revealing a vulnerable patch of skin. Stopping almost immediately, whirled like a ballerina and stepping right up to him, and before he could even think of turning around, she whirled her weapon around... and bashed him with the butt of the handle.

Hard.

Because, as everyone knew, no matter how strong the armor, where it latched could be a viable weakness... if one could get to those latches

The Sunakian took one step forward, went still for a moment... and promptly collapsed in a heap on the floor, unconscious.

For a moment, no one blinked as the sheer... anti-climatic feel to one of the biggest battles any of them had ever seen finally processed. They all looked at Susan, unbelieving.

Susan staggered for a moment as she regained her balance, a little surprised at how well that had worked. "Well," she quipped, "I guess this means I win, huh?"

And then she collapsed as well, though she remained awake. She was just exhausted. Anyone would be when they had just had the battle of the century.

"An impressive gambit," Karken rumbled approvingly about ten minutes later, as his chief physician checked him for further injuries. "You obviously studied the _Voran_ challenge well enough to locate a loop hole."

"Not exactly," Susan replied, drinking from a glass of water. "I just knew how it was worded. It stated that two warriors fought until one couldn't continue. Knocking one out was just the best way to do that." She grinned. "Besides, it's not as if I can die. A knock out was the only way."

Archer and Reed had to agree with her on that. Archer had seen firsthand just how tough Susan Pevensie could be, and how fast she could heal.

Sheeyal stood next to her Commander, perhaps slightly closer than was proper, but no one was going to say anything about it. "Well, regardless of how it played out, the point is that you have successfully completed the ritual, without any loss of life," she said. "Which means we can no longer attack Earth for as long as Karken commands the _Crusher_." Her gaze sharpened. "What else is it that you would need, Susan Pevensie?"

"Your help." Susan rose to her feet, though still shaky. "The Goa'uld are also preparing to launch an attack on Earth, and we think it might be soon, now that you are halting your attack."

"They have a new weapon; a ship of some kind that can destroy a planet in one shot," Archer added. "We know this because Teal'c homeworld of Chulak was destroyed."

Karken's eyes widened slightly, then narrowed a little. "Its surface was razed?" he asked, though it sounded as if he already knew the answer to it.

"Obliterated. There isn't even a planet there anymore."

"Which means you will need all of the help you can get." Karken turned around. "Subcommander Sheeyal, send a fleet wide communication. Inform the commanders that the fleet is to stand down from invasion status, and inform the Praetor that I have lost, and that the victor has requested our services to protect their world from another hostile force. Send the video feed if you must."

"Of course, Commander." She went to make the appropriate arrangements.

Karken leaned back, giving them a wane smile. "I have to admit, I never expected to actually be beaten," he admitted after a moment, stretching out slightly. "I thought that it was just a desperation play that you were using."

"To be perfectly honest, we didn't even know about the challenge until we were halfway here," Archer admitted. "We were bringing Miss Pevensie here to try and negotiate. We also came to see if Bre-tac needed any assistance in escaping."

The commander nodded in understanding at that. His opinion on the Earth captain was beginning to climb somewhat. "Well, Captain, I am certain that..."

"Commander!"

Everyone turned as one towards Sheeyal, who was getting off the comm channel. They all knew they wouldn't have to wait long for her report, if the somewhat paler complexion she had was of any indication.

They were not disappointed in her. "Twenty vessels in the invasion fleet have suddenly broken away and are making their way towards Earth."

"I gave no such order."

"Sir, the ships in question are commanded by Reman warriors. They are following orders from Admiral Dardos."

Archer saw the complexion of the Sunakian suddenly pale, and guessed that Remans were probably people who could do a lot of damage if not stopped. He pulled out his own communicator. "_Enterprise, _we're coming back," he reported. "As soon as we're on board, break tether and set a pursuit course. Also send word back to Earth. We may need reinforcements."

_"Acknowledged, Captain,"_ T-Pol replied, before the captain severed the connection. There wasn't a hope in hell that they could catch up with them, but they would be closer to Earth. A call to _Voyager_ would probably be received.

Karken, in the meantime, was issuing similar orders to his helmsmen, as well as ordering communications be made to a vessel known as the _Scimitar_.

Susan stood up, cracking her neck. "Why do I get the feeling that we're going to have a battle before the actual battle?" she asked thoughtfully, even as they all started for the airlock.

Archer sighed. "Seems to be our luck these last few weeks," he replied sadly.

Karken entered the bridge, his gate steady despite his exhaustion. His gaze was stormy as he took his seat. "What does the Praetor say?" he demanded.

_"The challenge has been entered into the records,"_ Ts'sr replied. _"But Dardos refuses to __respond. _Scimitar_ is on an intercept course with the renegade ships."_

"Why does that not surprise me?" Sheeyal grumbled, turning to the command chair. "Zephyer just made contact with us, Commander. He and Master Bre-tac have an answer for why a Fleet Admiral is defying the traditions of the Confederation."

"Clear them for docking, then set an intercept course for the renegades." Karken leaned back in his seat. "Archer will need all of the help he can get."

"Aye, Commander."

"The invasion was going to happen no matter what the outcome was," Bre-tac stated about twenty minutes later, in Karken's personal office. "We discovered what appeared to be a massive tank for some kind of radiation."

Karken rubbed his face wearily. He needed to rest after the grueling battle he had just faced, but that was no longer possible. He had to command his ship. Also, there was more to his weariness than just simple exhaustion, and those among his crew knew it.

Just what was Dardos playing at? As one of the five officers to wield the rank of Grand Admiral, he was supposed to be the example that all others were supposed to follow. If he was willing to defy the _Voran_ challenge...

Zephyer leaned in slightly. "I believe I have an answer for his betrayal," he said. "I suspect that the Reman Race is obeying the commands of one of the supreme gods. I do not know which one, but if he is taking orders from such a being..."

"Then we could have done such battles until the stars around us exploded, and it would have made no difference," Sheeyal finished, her face paling even further. The true gods brought a whole new series of complications to an already dangerous situation. One obeyed their commands, lest one faced eternal damnation at their hands. "So, what do we do, Sir? The _Crusher_ is no match for the _Scimitar_. I doubt the _Enterprise_ would be able to do anything, either. And it's not as if we can catch up to them."

"Perhaps not, but we will try and stop them anyway." Karken stood up. "Now, I must contact the Praetor, and let him know exactly what is happening. Have the hull plating polarized, and additional power transferred to the weapon systems. Then find out if there is any way to penetrate that ship's shields. Also, contact _Enterprise_, and send them the _Scimitar's _schematics._"_

Sheeyal bowed slightly. "Aye, Sir."

Bre-tac, who had been on board that ship, realized that no matter what kind of plan they came up with, there was a good chance that they simply didn't have the resources to pull it off. Dardo's vessel was simply far too advanced, too powerful, for their two ships to defeat.

It was time to come up with what the Tauri called a Hail Mary play, and to pray that it was successful...

* * *

**Pocket Dimension**

"This is starting to become annoying," Wheeler stated. "I don't know what the Guardians are playing at, but darkness gives way to light. I mean, that's what everyone says, right?"

"You are exaggerating." Linka sighed. "Not everyone says that. Just those who are eternally optimistic."

The two elves opted not to say anything, though they had their own opinions concerning that. Those who were eternally optimistic really had no idea what they were talking about.

So far, they hadn't run into anymore creatures, which told them that the Trial was probably almost over. That was what they were hoping, anyway. Of course, there was Blight's little monster to worry about, but they were drawing up a blank on how to deal with it. If it could withstand their combined powers, then what could they do to stop it?

As they each pondered the seemingly unconquerable problem, they finally exited the tunnel they had been walking through into a small cavern. Like everywhere else, no light was available within. It was starting to become annoying. And a new smell had been added, one that reminded the two Trainees of gas.

_Gas..._

"Wheeler," Linka muttered quietly, a thought striking her. "I think we can risk a brighter light here for a moment. I want to see the interior of the cavern."

Wheeler nodded in understanding, and promptly increased the glow of his ring. A few seconds later, he was glad he had.

His attention shifted towards the wall, namely the point where it made contact with the floor, where he made out a small basin. Dipping a finger inside, he was surprised to feel some sort of fluid occupying the space. Sniffing at the finger, his gaze widened even further, and a slight grin emerged. He had just found the source of the smell. "Guys, I think our illumination problems may be over," he said after a moment, pointing his ring down. "Linka, be ready, just in case I'm wrong."

Linka nodded, her own ring up. If it turned out to be a trap, then she would have only seconds to act. If it exploded, then they were going to have seconds to act.

A jolt of energy shot from the Fire Planeteer's ring, striking the ominous smelling liquid. It promptly ignited, an orange flame suddenly shooting to the left and encircling the room, before shooting down another tunnel. Illumination had no longer become a problem indeed.

Linka let her arm drop in relief. Finally, some good luck had been given to them. "There is no monster here waiting for us," she said after a moment. "I guess we can rest for a moment."

They all agreed that it was a good idea, and promptly relaxed a little bit. They had been on edge for who knew how long, and it was starting to fray on their nerves. Elric and the Voyeur promptly sat down, their backs to one of the walls. At the very least, they could make it somewhat more difficult for a monster to sneak up on them.

Linka promptly began exploring, which was her way of relaxing. Of course, there wasn't much to see here. There weren't any inscriptions, no artifacts of any kind, just a semi decently sized cavern. Nothing special.

And yet, it had oil for them to use...

"It's probably just a rest stop, Linka," Wheeler finally suggested. "I mean, I really don't think that Guardians would work their Trainees to death, just to see if they're worthy of joining them."

"I am beginning to believe you on that, Wheeler. But then again, you never know with people." She joined him where he was sitting. "Let us take that time to rest, then."

Elric sighed, pleased with that decision. He had no intention of standing up for a few moments. His feet were killing him, even through the boots.

The Voyeur smirked lightly. "Feeling old, my friend?" he asked.

"Indeed."

Wheeler had been partially correct in his assumption. It had become a resting spot. Only a few short hours ago, it had served another purpose.

The room they were in was where they would have been tested on their mental defenses. It had been shut down thanks to Alania's warning to Tieranos, which gave them a reprieve, even though it was only a short one. Tieranos was not pleased, but there was nothing he could really do about it. The First Guardian's logic was sound. The only beings that could override her were the Timelord, and the gods themselves, and they would most likely back her. They tended to like their mortals alive, and still able to change the world.

The Creature, on the other hand, was not under any such restrictions. It could smell its prey ahead of it, no longer moving. It didn't start thinking of why that was. It just kept moving, its instinct for food all that it knew.

This was a sad creature, for that was all it would ever know. Eternal hunger. And once it had finished its purpose, then its creator would simply put it down, like a rabid animal. And she would do it without a second thought.

She only expressed joy in creating, not joy in her creations. She simply doesn't care about anything except obtaining even greater power.

And she wouldn't have had it any other way.

* * *

**Deep Space, _Enterprise_**

It was pretty grim.

Everyone was gathered in the Master Tactical Room as Zephyer showed them the scans of the empty tank. Upon seeing it, they all had a sickening suspicion that they knew what was supposed to go into it. Reed and Ex had figured it out first.

"The _Scimitar _is basically nothing more than a thalaron weapon," Reed surmised, as he took a look at the vessel's weapon systems. He pointed at the tips of the wings. "It would probably fire the radiation out of focusing points, using some sort of cascading biogenic pulse to help it expand outward, and controlling the rate and intensity via the force fields they've put into place."

"That's not all." Ex cycled through the information from the _Crusher's_ database, finally bringing up the _Scimitar's_ schematics. "Even without the thalaron, the _Scimitar_ has more than enough weaponry to take out half of the planet by themselves. They have transphasic torpedoes and six forward launchers to use, almost sixty forward disruptor banks, as well as a plasma cannon capable of wiping out an entire city." Her gaze grew pensive. "The thalaron was probably just a formality."

"Or they just wanted us dead, and wanted as many options as they could get." Archer leaned against the console, rubbing his eyes. This was not how he was expecting his day to end. "Is there any defense against it, like using some other kind of radiation?" he asked after a moment.

The answer came from Subcommander Sheeyal, who was shaking her head negatively. "None," was all she said on it.

"Then we need to start looking. T-Pol, until we intercept the _Scimitar_, that will be yours and Trip's the meantime, Lieutenant Red, see if you and Ex can boost our hull plating anymore. I want to be able to survive so some back up can at least show up to see us be blown out of the stars."

T-Pol shook her head. "No quoting Shakespeare before a battle, Captain," she deadpanned, her eyes twinkling slightly in humor. "It'll only end badly for us. Not to mention that it's tacky."

A small moment of levity, even done through stoic Vulcan mannerisms, was definitely more than appreciated. Everyone there chuckled a little as her little joke caught on.

"Sheeyal, I want you to work with them on this," Karken ordered, the moment the chuckles had receded. "See if there is any way to modulate the frequency of the plating to better withstand their disruptors."

Sheeyal bowed. "I shall do all that I can, Sir."

Susan, who had been quiet throughout the briefing, suddenly looked up. "We need to do more than shore up _Enterprise's_ and _Crusher's_ defense," she said. "We need to learn more about the _Scimitar's_." Everyone turned to her in surprise, which surprised her. Clearly, no one had even thought about that. "That's the problem, isn't it? We're trying to survive when we should be trying to win. We should be trying to find a way to penetrate their shields. Maybe even find a way to beam someone on board to sabotage their ship."

Archer was about to put a kibosh on it... when he suddenly remembered who he was talking to. "What do you have in mind?" he asked.

Susan grinned.

"It's interesting, how it's the one who's never been in space who figured it out," Trip commented ten minutes later, as he and T-Pol went through every last bit of of Sunak and Earth research concerning thalaron radiation. "We're supposed to be the space explorers, for cryin' out loud."

"Yes, but we were going on the fact that we're a little fish, and we were going up against a shark," T-Pol replied, having no real aquatic comparison from her world. Vulcan didn't even have a major ocean, just a few fresh water lakes near the poles. And they had no aquatic life teeming in them. "A hundred years, and humans were able to learn as much about thalaron as my people were able to in six hundred years." A slight smirk appeared on her face. "Captain Archer wasn't kidding when he said you don't have the patience."

"Or the two hundred year lifespan," Trip reminded her gently.

"Yes, please remind me of how old my people really are."

The two of them chuckled for a moment at that, the moment of levity certainly something they had both needed. It had been a while since either one of them had laughed for any reason, Trip more than her for obvious reasons. She had missed it.

But soon, the smile slid from the Engineer's face, and he stepped away from the console, his gaze stormy. "Looks like the Sunak don't have any new insights," he grumbled. "There's nothin' here that even hints at a defense. Everything's about what they learned on it personally. Looks like we're goin' have to go on the old standby."

"Do it ourselves?"

"Big time."

T-Pol sighed. It was their only option, and yet, not an option she really wanted to do on board a star ship with around eighty five people walking its corridors. It was a closed vessel, and they ideally needed open space to pull it off. "In the time we have, it's going to get a little messy," she said. "If anything we test reacts to it in a horrible way, we'll just be doing more harm than good to both ship and crew."

"I know... which pretty much means we're screwed."

"I agree with you there, Trip. I agree with you there." Her attention shifted as something came up on the screen. "Or maybe not..."

His own attention sharpened. "You see something in their database?"

"No... in ours." She brought it up. "According to this, just before the start of World War III, humanity was experimenting on some sort of anti-radiation defense." She looked closer. "It appears that this is all theoretical... but the theory looks sound."

"More than sound, it's set in stone." Trip was beginning to grin as he read it. "I think we've got something to show the Captain after all."

"Radiation shielding?" Archer repeated. "You mean, like the kind we have for our matter/ antimatter tanks?"

"Similar, but a little more specific." T-Pol stepped over a piece of metal in Engineering. "It appears that England was experimenting on lead to enhance its ability to deflect radiation, due to the fact that nuclear weapons had become far more sophisticated by the 2050's. They theorized that by correctly identifying the energy frequency of the radiation, they would be able to alter the lead's potential energy into something resembling a force field, effectively increasing its strength by twenty percent."

"But let me guess, it didn't work in their tests."

"We have no idea. World War III began, and most of the information was lost. We were just lucky that the theory survived. And, from what I could read from Zeframe Cochrane's notes, he used their research as a means of dealing with several problems with the _Phoenix's _own intermix chamber." T-Pol smiled. "It probably meant that they were ready to begin full scale production, but just didn't have the chance."

Archer had to agree with that. Either they didn't have the chance to test it, or they had tested it, and they had just run out of time. Either way, this was the chance they had been waiting for. "So we need to know resonance frequency for thalaron, and then use that information to create a defense for it," he reiterated. "We just have one problem. Our ship has no lead in it, we don't have the resonance frequency."

"The Sunak do," Trip replied, grinning. "After we came across this fun fact, we began looking over the Sunak's research a little more closely. As it turns out, they did their research on the subject about fifty years ago, so it's still pretty fresh. And one of the things they found out was its resonance frequency. It's pretty high, considering that it has to be to do what it does to biological tissue, but nothing we can't handle. The deflector dish can handle that for short periods of time."

"And we don't need lead," T-Pol added, smoothly picking up where he left off. "I scanned our duranium hull, and I noticed many of the same radiation blocking properties in it as in lead, just not all of them. It's part of the reason why, when we polarize our hull plating, it helps prevent most of the radiation outside from passing through the hull during a battle. We just need to tweak a few settings here and there, and we'll be a whole lot safer from thalaron without diminishing our combat readiness. We can use the deflector dish to disperse the rest."

His gaze narrowed thoughtfully as he mulled over this new information. If they could do just that... then all they would have to worry about was _Scimitar's_ weapons systems. And they would have solved the problem of defending themselves from the radiation if they ever came across it. "Get started," he ordered. "Let me know when you're ready to implement." He quickly turned around, and headed out of Engineering. He needed to go to Reed next.

Both of them nodded, before heading over the stations that controlled the energy flow. It would take a while to input the data needed, but it would be worth it in the end.

In more ways than one.

* * *

_**Scimitar**_

"We are being followed," Tactical reported. "_Crusher_ and _Enterprisssse_ are attempting to catch up to usssssss, Admiral."

Dardos nodded, not surprised. "Sssssssstupiid humansssssss," he hissed. "Jussssst assssssss hopeful asssssssss the Sssssssunak." He smirked a little, "Perhapssssssss we should give them what they want, though they may regret it later. Helm... drop to Warp Four. Engage the cloak."

"Aye, Ssssssssir."

* * *

**Yggdrasil, Main Control Room**

_One Hour Earlier_

Ere observed the pulsing energy of Stonehenge for a moment longer, running various scans in an effort to better understand its energy. It was something completely foreign to the Earth's own magical field, and yet, it belonged there at the same time. It was a conundrum, and she liked figuring those out.

Once the necessary scans were active, she turned her attention back to her primary assignment; watching over the Sunak fleet. She had been doing so since the _Enterprise_ had arrived, and so far, there was nothing different. They held position in the same spot where they had mobilized, and nothing more. It was starting to look like they weren't interested in moving until it was time... or something happened that forced them to either disperse or start the attack early.

Her gaze shifted over to the side slightly, taking in the empty seat next to her. It seemed strange, even though she knew why that was. Secretly, she was beginning to wonder if everybody in Heaven was going to be hooking up with a mortal before this was all done. Or were Keichii and Lieutenant Reed the exceptions?

_'Maybe I should take a look at them myself,'_ she mused, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips for a moment at the thought. _'None of the guys up here have caught my interest, after all.'_ Chuckling to herself and ignoring the inquiring look from Chrono, she observed her screen.

Her musings and slightly elevated mood evaporated like rain as she saw a good chunk of the fleet suddenly break away, and head towards the Solar System. "Damn it," she grumbled. "This is not good at all."

"You're right about that," Chrono agreed, her own gaze on the ships. "I guess Captain Archer was only partially successful."

Ere said no more, only accessed the communication system. "Goddess Emergency Line Eight. Put me through to_ Voyager now_!"

* * *

**Pocket Dimension**

"This seems trifling familiar," the Voyeur muttered as they stopped. "Are we going around in circles?"

The four of them had been walking for quite a bit, when he made this quiet observation. It made them all stop for a moment, and take a look around.

Linka's brow furrowed. "I do not think so," she said somewhat hesitantly. "Most of the caverns are not dissimilar from one another, after all."

Wheeler frowned. "Let's find out," he decided, before pointing his ring at a nearby stone. _"Fire,"_ he muttered softly.

A small burst of flame burst outward, hitting the stone. He kept it going until it was nice and black, before nodding. "Alright, we'll know for sure if we're lost if we come across that again. Just keep your eyes open, and we should have an answer."

Sadly, about thirty minutes later, they had their answer.

"We are going around in circles!" Linka lamented, as they came to stop in front of the blackened stone, cursing in Russian. "This is annoying. We kept going left. That should have taken us to the peak!"

"And we have gone left, and still we are here," Elric noted, his pointed ears quivering slightly. "Perhaps this is yet another trial for you to face."

"Do not remind us about that."

Wheeler inwardly grinned at his girlfriend's deflated tone, knowing how she felt only too well. He just wanted this damn thing done and over with as well, but since when did a trial end with just one or two tasks? Add in the fact that they were still being chased, and it looked like they still had their hands full.

"Okay," he decided after a moment, "if left is merely bringing us to where we had come from, then we're going to have to go right so we can get where we're going. It's simple... maybe too simple, which is why none of us ever thought of it."

None of them had ever thought of it like that before. Common logic dictated that they keep going left, following the natural curvature of the mountain, because they had eventually realized that they were at the very edge, and simply kept walking. As a result, they had never even considered that at some point, they would have to go deeper into the mountain's interior.

Elric and the Voyeur were exempt from blame, as they had never even been in the mountain in the first place. But Wheeler and Linka... this was their test. They should have known better.

_'And had I even remembered my own family history,_ _a lot of things would have been different,'_ he thought cynically. Still, he knew why the White Wizard did what he did. Sakar had moved too quickly for anyone to do anything about it.

It did make him wonder, though. Would all of this have always happened, had the Digi-Destined and the Sailor Scouts not been taken from their home? Or was this because of manipulations in destiny, caused by some higher power that none of them were aware of? What was going on out there?

They made the the circle one more time as he pondered all of this, reaching the fork one more time. This time, they went left.

About ten minutes later, the Creature went right, following the stronger scent along the path. It would do so for quite a while, as it checked every single stop point, sniffing them over thoroughly.

After a while, it returned to the fork, sniffing hard. Then it started down the left side, teeth gnashing.

-  
The White Wizard's eyes narrowed in approval at how well the two Chosen were progressing, and the speed in which they figured it all out. He had honestly expected them to be longer on that test. With a little luck, they would be Guardians before Sakar managed to regain enough of his faculties to return to Earth.

Of course, there was the little problem concerning Blight's _pet_, if such a word could be used to describe that thing. But he had hopes that they would overcome that as well. It wasn't the first time they had had to fight something that she had created. But he did know that it would be the last. It had to be.

He didn't think the Sloane bloodline could take another decade of war with her; a war that had lasted nearly as long as the one with Sakar.

Blight had been a powerful spirit of Mars, after Zarm was sent into space by Gaia and Realm 2's Yggdrasil. But she soon ran into Sakar, and his corruption seeped into her, turning her ugly. Or was it ever really necessary? There had been suspicions that she had been responsible for the Red Planet losing any chance of evolving more than simple life forms. Those suspicions were soon confirmed on Earth in the Nineteenth Century, during the brief cooling period it went through. Yggdrasil was quick to restrain her, and strip her of all of her power, exiling her to Earth. Her sister followed willingly, if only to maintain harmony and balance.

And look how well that turned out.

Now Bambi, as she was called on Earth, was dead, and her sister was on the verge of reclaiming her power. Which meant that Wheeler and Linka would soon be facing two spirits instead of one. Victory was becoming far more difficult to obtain

The Wizard looked up the Heavens, knowing that, even if they defeated Sakar and Blight, there were far greater evils still out there, pulling strings of Fate that not even the Guardians could see. Disruptions that only Cosmos' Champion could set right. But it was not yet time for that moment... as it was not yet time to reveal himself to the Sloane bloodline once more. Besides, even the Child of Destiny could not stand alone. To do so would be suicide.

For now, he would depart. He would check in with Jane's future self, and see how she was doing... and then go and see how the others were growing. For now... that was all he could do.

Until the final days...

* * *

_**Enterprise**_

_Captain's Personal log, April 13, 1993, Realm 2_

_The _Enterprise_ and the _Crusher_ are presently at maximum warp, heading for the Terran Solar System in an effort to halt the _Scimitar's _assault. The crew's of both ships are responding with a dedication that I am certain any captain in any time period would come to expect of them. Commander Tucker and T-Pol have even managed to come up with several ideas that might allow us to combat Sunak flagship. Unfortunately, I'm beginning to believe that there may be no way to defeat a vessel hundreds of years more advanced than us._

_Of course, I'm not a Narnian Queen._

Susan finally looked up, her gaze brightening. "The _Scimitar_ isn't complete," she said triumphantly.

Sheeyal looked at her for a moment, uncomprehending. "We already know that," she replied. "That doesn't help us at this moment. Even incomplete, it holds a distinct tactical advantage over us in terms of weaponry."

"Not what meant. I mean, its defenses weren't completed." She pointed at the screen. "According to this, this vessel is supposed to use multivector shielding, which would allow them to defend against any threat with ease by automatically channeling power to where it was needed most. But they installed her with the same shielding that the fleet at large is using right now. I don't know if it'll help us, but maybe you know of something."

Now she had the First Officer's attention, and she walked forward, peering at the screen. "_Haegh..."_ she breathed. "I think I might." She tapped at the panel; set in a familiar pattern to her ship's own. "They utilize a specific frequency and modulation that are made for optimal efficiency. But it's a flaw in the design that they weren't able to overcome. Hence, the new multivector approach."

"Reinventing the wheel?"

"Yes, actually."

Susan nodded. "I think we have found our avenue of attack," she stated. "All we need to do is discover what their modulation is, and adjust both ship's weapons to match, and probably the transporters as well. Now, is it possible to tune the hull plating to match their weapon's signature?"

"It may be. Every Sunak ship has a different modulation. If nothing else, it should even the playing field a little bit." Sheeyal grinned. "And, lo and behold, _that_ is something we do have."

"Then let's tell Lieutenant Reed and Ex. They'll be able to make the necessary changes." Finally, things were starting to look up.

Archer felt little relaxation as his crew worked, knowing full well why that was.

They had protected this ship as much as they possibly could, come up with a weakness within the _Scimitar's _shields, and even developed a plan to sabotage the ship. There was still the little detail of them actually reaching the vessel, but there was nothing they could do about that.

But he knew that something was off. Something that he couldn't quite place. His instincts were screaming at him that he shouldn't underestimate the Grand Admiral for whatever the reason. That he had more tricks up his sleeve than just his ship.

"Captain, I'm receiving word from the Brig," Malcolm suddenly reported. "It appears that Silik hasn't tried to escape again. He's just sitting there, looking at the wall."

That unto itself was enough to make him suspicious. What was that Suliban terrorist planning? Or did he already have a plan in motion? "Double the guard around the brig," he ordered. "I don't want-"

A sudden impact suddenly rocked the bridge, cutting off his original orders quite effectively. For a moment, he believed that the _Crusher's_ commander had suddenly changed his, and decided to fulfill his vow to destroy him.

However, when Malcolm looked up, her quickly dispelled that by shouting, "We're under attack! Sunak disruptors from unknown location! I can't get a weapons lock!"

In that moment, he came up with a more frightening, and far more accurate theory.

It appeared that they didn't need to find the _Scimitar_.

The _Scimitar_ had found them.

* * *

And here is Chapter Forty One. Forty Two will be the actual battle, and Silik will actually have a part to play in it. It shall hopefully be epic... though considering my writing skills, probably not.


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty Two**

In the moment of the first impact, two things became clear.

The first was that neither _Enterprise_ or _Crusher_ were destroyed with that first shot, which meant that the modifications they had made to the hull plating worked. It meant they stood a chance of surviving. That was definitely something to celebrate.

The second was that, when the first shot failed, the _Scimitar_ simply tried again... and again. If they couldn't destroy them with overwhelming force, they would simply do it the old fashion way.

Archer gripped his arm rests as the vessel shuddered underneath his feet, her very structure protesting the assault. "Malcolm, target and return fire!" he shouted.

"I can't, Sir!" Malcolm replied. "They're firing through the cloak! We can't get a lock!"

A sudden surge caught them all off guard, nearly throwing them out of their seats. An engineering console short circuited, sparks showering everyone in range.

And the _Enterprise_ dropped out of warp, without warning.

The shooting stopped for a few seconds as their enemy overshot by hundreds of kilometers, but that was only a few seconds.

"Warp drive has been disabled, Captain!" T-Pol informed him unnecessarily, but which protocol dictated. "We only have impulse."

"Hull plating is holding for the moment!" Reed added, somehow managing to keep his surprise at bay. "Weapons are ready to fire!"

"Prepare to fire phase cannons on my signal! Scan for any shield impacts, and prepare photonic torpedoes!" It wasn't as if they had a hope in hell in fighting back, but if he was going to go down, he was going down swinging at least.

Malcolm typed in the necessary commands to include avoid hitting the _Crusher_, and looked up. "Phase Cannons ready!"

"Fire!"

The _Enterprise_ immediately opened up with a sweeping wave of energy. The _Crusher_ had the same idea, as disruptor blasts suddenly issued from its cannons in various directions. One phaser blast struck gold, illuminating a part of the _Scimitar_ for a second. Seconds later, both vessels half a dozen torpedoes...

… which missed the target by a margin of millimeters.

Ex shook her head. "No go, Captain," she said. "Their maneuverability is roughly equal to that of a ship half their size. We need more ships, or an actual target lock to be effective."

Archer growled lowly in his throat. This was not going their way today.

-  
Dardos chortled as both vessels actually tried to fight back. "You're inferior, and sssssssslow to boot, Captain," he hissed quietly. "A pity." He pressed a command on his chair. "Attack pattern Sssssssssieros Theta!"

Tactical immediately targeted certain points on _Enterprise's _hull, then did the same on the _Crusher_. Their disruptors fired several moments later, only to have them prove largely ineffective again. Despite their inferior technology, they were somehow managing to survive.

Dardos frowned, or would have if his face was designed with the capability to frown. Ever since his people began to follow Goas, they had come to believe that none could challenge them. And for fifty years, that had been the case. The Remans had emerged as the preeminent warriors of the Confederation, unparalleled in the art of war before his coming, but they had become even more so afterwards. Even the Praetors had acknowledged their skills, appointing members to the highest military positions in the government.

Dardos had been a mere ensign, freshly graduated from the Academy, when Goas came to him one night, and told him that he was destined for greatness. He showed him the world that would one day be his, of the glory that he would obtain, and promised him that and more. Dardos nodded, and pledged to aid him in whatever he needed.

Then Goas laid out his plan; how the Spirits of the Earth were like a plague and needed to be destroyed before they could rally the people of Earth into a force that could threaten their Confederation. He decided that he would make it his life mission to insure that it didn't happen.

And now he was the cusp of accomplishing that... except for that damn _Voran_ challenge. Sunakians and their damn adherence to tradition! If they hadn't, then they would have destroyed the humans thirty years ago.

In the end, it didn't matter. Earth and its Spirits were doomed, no matter what defenses they had. It didn't matter that they had the Asgard in their corner, that the Goa'uld had become active. All that matter was their mission. Their place in destiny. Their victory.

Goas would handle the rest shortly.

The _Scimitar_ shivered slightly as the _Crusher's_ disruptors once again made contact with their shielded hull, trying to locate them. "Karken... you will not find usssssssss," he hissed. "And even you did, it is usssssselesssssss to fight fate."

In fact, they could have some fun here. It was obvious that they were attempting to draw the fight out for as long as they could. Who was he to deny them? He could do just that.

He looked at Communications, a serpentine smirk slowly stretching his mouth out a little. "Hail them..."

-  
Ts'sr looked up. "_No damage to the Scimitar,_" he clicked.

Sheeyal was about ready to kick her console in anger, if only because she couldn't believe that they hadn't seen this coming. They had assumed that Dardos would simply continue using his superior speed to head for Earth, leaving them in the dust. The battle would be difficult, but given their cloaking capability, not impossible to win.

Instead, they had pulled back, letting them catch up, and then set up an ambush. It was such an obvious strategy that they hadn't even realized it.

"Defensive pattern Dalwos Sierss," Karken ordered. "Then get me a report on our weapon modifications status."

"Aye, Sir," a junior engineer, quickly heading into the turbolift.

Sheeyal brought the scans they took of the last few minutes, going through them carefully. They didn't have the time, but they also had no choice. Sadly, there was nothing. The little flashes they caught from the impacts against their shields were brief, and only showed contours of the _Scimitar's_ hull. Nothing useful. She sighed, leaning in so no one else could hear her. "Dardos has us dead to rights, my love," she whispered to him. "He could have beaten us there, and that would have been the end of it. Why tail us instead?"

"Remans are warriors, but they are also prideful and arrogant," Karken replied just as quietly, remembering his studies of species. "They are arrogant enough to believe that they can defeat any foe that comes their way, and that those foes are far too weak to withstand them. But they are not to be underestimated, as you well know."

Sheeyal nodded, knowing what he meant. Her species, the Tealasu, were once the natural blood enemies to the Remans before Sakar, and even after all of the centuries since then, the bad blood simmered. Her species valued peace and justice, and found many of the Reman's practices to be abhorrent. And their bloodthirsty ways some times made her nauseous.

Ts'sr suddenly clicked something that didn't translate, breaking her chain of thought for a moment. Looking at him, she saw his birdlike eyes widen a little. "What is it?" she asked.

Ts'sr looked at her. _"We are being hailed by the _Scimitar_," _he reported, a little surprised. _"They wish to speak with both us and _Enterprise_."_

Karken nodded, before looking up. There was only one decision that he could make that would help them in the long run. "Put them on screen," he ordered, leaning back a little. He looked at Sheeyal briefly, letting her know that surrender was not an option.

She had already guessed that, though. Remans were not known for taking prisoners. So if they wanted to talk, that meant something was up. Perhaps they were enjoying this resistance more than they had all originally assumed, and wanted to prolong it for as long as possible.

On the other hand, talking would allow them some additional time to get Susan on board the other vessel. They just needed to get her that time, and Dardos had just given them that chance.

Now to see if it was enough.

-  
Archer quickly signaled for another line to be opened, leaning back in his seat. As soon as the line was established, he ordered, "On screen."

And, in the moment, he had his first look at two things; a Reman, and the Grand Admiral of the Sunak Confederation. He wasn't sure which part worried him more. It could have even been both.

_"Captain Archer, Commander Karken,"_ the Reman hissed quite cordially, as if he wasn't trying to blow them out of the sky. _"I musssssssssst admit, __I__ am impressssssed with your defenssssssssive preparationsssssssssss. Normally, my ship would have obliterated yours with the very firssssssst torpedo." _His tongue forked out for a moment. _"But you ssssssssee, it only delaysssssssss your inevitable fate."_

Archer heard T-Pol snort very quietly from her station, and shared her opinion on that. He also found himself a little amused by it. He had never heard a Vulcan snort before, especially so delicately. "Admiral, we haven't even begun to surprise you," he informed him. "Humans have been known to turn the tide of battles against overwhelming odds, with nothing more than delays and defense. We've had to, considering how we don't have enhanced senses or better than average strength."

_"I suggest you listen to the Captain, Admiral,"_ Karken informed him. _"A human was able to defeat me in battle by understanding deception and weaknesses. You would do well to remember that, as well as your obligations to the Confederation and the laws that govern it."_

_ "What I do issssssssss for the greater good of the Conferation!"_ Dardos hissed. _"Sssssssssspirits are monssssssstersssssss that musssssssst be dessssssssstroyed, before they can come for usssssssss! And not two weeksssssssss ago, you believed the ssssssssssssame, Commander!"_

Karken nodded in agreement at that. _"Yes, I did, but I did not have all of the information. Sakar was an aborigine, a fluke in Heaven and Hell's cosmic design. He was inevitably going to snap, as he wielded both energies. And, as we both know, no being can wield both light and darkness, save for the _Hadarac_."_

T-Pol arched an eyebrow at that statement. Though she had no idea what the meant, she had a feeling that it meant something involving destiny. In fact, she had a feeling that it was meant to be something important.

Archer slowly stood up, taking several steps forward as he observed Dardos' expression. Obviously, no matter what was said here, this one was going to try and destroy them. The definitive blood lust he saw in that gaze told him that. Still, he had to delay him a little more, and talking was the only way to do that. "Admiral, right now, the way I see it, you have forgotten your purpose as an officer of your fleet. Genocide is a rather heinous crime, regardless of the species. Do you really want the blood of billions of innocent people on your hands, just so you can kill two spirits? Is that what you really want?"

For a second, there was no response, making him think that perhaps talking to Dardos had been more fortuitous than he had thought. Perhaps there was a shred of compassion within the admiral's heart that just needed...

And then... the hissing began. No words, just snake like hissing, though it sounded rather... broken. Almost like... laughter.

And with a sinking sensation, the captain was forced to concede that there was a reason why Remans were warriors... were killers. They had no compassion, and not just because they were obviously predators.

They had no use for it in this case because this was not a hunt. It was a game. A sick, very sadistic game with only one way to win; Destroy the opposition. And they would do it with relish.

Sighing, the captain looked at Karken, who was shaking his head sadly. A single thought passed between them, never being voiced aloud. _'Where were the good old days when honor still meant something? When everything was still seen with a veil of wonder?'_

Archer simply squared his shoulders, looked Dardos in the eye again, and stated quite coldly, "Then it's your funeral, Admiral. Because I will not let you kill everyone on Earth, simply because you're a coward who will not abide by the laws of his own nation." Ah, that shut them up real fast!

Dardos' eyes narrowed slightly as he took in what the Captain said. _"Better a coward who isssssss willing to protect hissssssss people from damnation than a __brave __human who issssssss outmatched, Captain,"_ he hissed out. _"Now, make peacccccccce with your friendsssssss while you can, becaussssssse it isssssss time for you all to die."_ With that, the _Scimitar_ terminated the communication.

Karken sighed as he looked at Archer. _"Remans could honestly care less what everyone else thinks of them," _he informed the captain sadly. _"The predator mentality; go after the weakest prey."_

"I understand that mentality. But he obviously doesn't understand that for those who can think for themselves, the weakest doesn't necessarily mean they can't win. And these sheep have some teeth to them." He nodded. "Miss Pevensie, how are we doing?"

-  
Susan hit the intercom button as Colonel Hayes finished putting the last of the charges onto a pack. "We're on schedule, for once," she replied. "Which is a very good thing. When do you think he'll begin his bombardment again?"

As if to answer her question, the deck underneath her shuddered from an explosive impact. Several more impacts followed it shortly. "Never mind." She shut off her end, turning around. "How are we doing, Colonel?" she asked.

Hayes nodded. "We're good," he replied. "Fifteen charges for demolition are accounted for, which is about half of the ship's supply. Do you really think they'll be enough?"

"I only assume, Colonel. Let's go get to the transporter bay, because now comes the really tricky part." Not to mention dangerous, but she wasn't going to say that. No need to reiterate that which they all already knew.

Of course, that didn't mean they weren't going to try and shave off as much of that risk as they possibly could.

The plan was simple in its scope, if difficult to implement. Susan, Bre-tac, Zephyer and a team of MACOS would beam over to the _Scimitar_, and perform something that had been done on vessels of all kinds during battle; sabotage. And, if possible, do it with as few casualties as possible. Really no fuss.

Getting onboard the vessel, on the other hand, was the problem. And for good reason. For starters, the enemy was centuries, if not millennium more advanced than them. There was also the detail that they couldn't actually transport onboard a ship that has shields up, as they had learned during their last briefing from Karken. Finally, they had to find the sucker, as the ship was still cloaked. So how could they accomplish their plan?

In the end, Ex and Susan had proven to have the answer for them. Since one was a magical entity and the other was, for no better term, an Angel of Heaven, they had learned of ways to bypass technological restrictions. And the best part of it was that they could use the transporter to accomplish this little magical miracle. It had taken some clever ingenuity to pull it off, but they did it.

Of course, there was the little detail that they had no idea if it was actually going to work. It had never been done before, and thus there were a great many things that could go wrong. But it was either try this, or wait for _Enterprise_ to be destroyed. The second option was not acceptable.

Ironically, this brought memories back to Susan that she would have rather forgotten about during the Korean War, when she had felt helpless while in one of their prison camps. She had no idea why she remembered that. The situation she found herself in right now was completely different from back then. Now, she had a chance to do something about it.

Perhaps the sense of impending doom that overshadowed them all had something to do with it.

Forcibly pushing the feeling to the back of her mind, the Gentle Queen looked to the transporter operator as she pulled out a small ornate metal looking flower. "Are we ready here?"

"Just waiting for the signal," the officer replied, holding on as the ship rocked again. "Which had better be soon, is all I have to say on the matter."

Funny, but they were all thinking the same thing.

-  
"Hull plating on aft starboard is down to forty six percent!" Malcolm reported. "Weapons are ineffective!"

"They're effective enough." Ex looked up. "The fluctuation is there; just as we thought. It should be enough. Malcolm, target shield coordinate Alpha-Five again. Susan, give us three seconds, then trigger the device."

Malcolm targeted the point in question once more, and fired. Twin orange-red beams shot outward, hitting with absolute accuracy once again. Once again, nothing that could be seen happened. But something did happen.

In the shield schematics of the _Scimitar_, they had discovered a small discrepancy in the field, one that hadn't been addressed yet by the Sunak Engineering Division; a minor fluctuation near one of their cargo bays that occurred when any kind of object or beam hit it. It was so minor that it wasn't even worth mentioning.

Unless of course, you had an angel on your side, with access to technology and magic beyond the mortal plain.

Ex, after making an emergency call to Heaven, was able to get hold of a device that could speed up matter teleportation capability over two thousand percent, nearly to the level of a Guardian transporter. It was an invention of Skuld's that actually made it past the first stage of testing, and was finally approved for emergency use in a dire situation after the remaining bugs had been worked out.

Being attacked by an advanced warship trying to split you open like an overripe melon definitely qualified as a dire situation.

Three seconds later, a sensor on the bridge detected the activation of the transporter pad, then a slight anomaly that occurred at the same exact time. It wasn't dangerous, so it was merely placed on the proverbial 'to examine later, when one is not in mortal peril' list.

-  
Dardos chuckled as he watched his crew enjoy themselves with this confrontation. It was indeed more than he was expecting, and he was enjoying it as well. Archer and Karken were quite devious when it came to defense. A pity that they could not do the same for offense. All the same, it was proving to be quite the hunt.

His mirth ended when an alert sounded. He turned immediately towards Tactical. "Report!"

"We have intrudersssssssss on board. Twelve ssssssignalsssssss on Deck Twenty!"

He was surprised, if not a little worried. This would complicate matters a little. Deck Twenty was one of the areas that had an entry into Main Engineering. And if Zephyer was with them...

Somehow, they were able to locate the shield weakness, and use it to their advantage. How they were able to accomplish it, how they were even able to locate them, was irrelevant. The fact that managed to get a strike team over wasn't.

Dardos took a moment to analyze his options, and found them lacking. The one certainty he did have was that they could not be allowed to complete whatever mission they were on. Their lord would not be pleased with failure. "Sssssssssend sssssssssssecurity down to Main Engineering. Ensure that they can't do any damage to our ship. Then prepare boarding partiessssssss for both shipsssssssss. Bring me both Archer and Karken'sssssss headssssssss."

"Aye, Ssssssssssssir."

-  
Karken gripped his arm rests tightly as the ship rocked several times from concussive blasts. His very mood was grim as he looked at the tactical display. "You are certain, Sub-commander?" he asked quite calmly.

Sheeyal nodded, fear and relief shining through her eyes. "We have confirmation from _Enterprise_," she reported. "They are on board. However, we have no communication from them."

The Commander nodded, turning his attention back to the battle. That had been expected. It was also something they could do nothing about, as the _Scimitar's_ shields were the culprit.

So, instead of worrying about it, he focused on what he could prepare for; namely, the inevitable boarding of his ship by Remans. It was part of their mentality. If they were up against a vessel that clearly couldn't combat them, they tried to extend their fun as much as possible, mostly by boarding the ship and killing the crew in hand to hand. "Have security teams standing by on all decks," he ordered. "Shoot to wound only, as killing them will send the others into a frenzy. Lethal force only if no other choice is possible. Ts'sr, target the shield coordinates again. Let us see if we can take some of the heat off of _Enterprise's_ away team by sending our own in."

_ "Aye, Sir,"_ Ts'sr clicked, targeting the area in question.

About thirty seconds later, the alarm sounded, just as he had expected. Intruders were on board the _Crusher_.

Just like clockwork.

-  
"Intruder Alert!" Malcolm reported. "C Deck, Juncture Thirteen! I have a security team setting up in Juncture Ten, ready to engage!"

Archer nodded, satisfied that he didn't need to issue the order. Karken had warned them that this would eventually happen, and was taken into consideration when they first made their plans. Everything they had been doing had been to keep their opponent busy, so as to divert their attention.

By now, they had managed to get their team onboard the _Scimitar,_ placed near Main Engineering for a reason. The rest would have to be up to Susan and the MACO's, and it would have to be very quick.

-  
It took Susan about ten seconds to figure out where the hell they were.

To be fair, she had a right to be disoriented. After all, it was a mere half a day ago that she hadn't even been into space. Now, she had been on three separate ships, had participated in an alien ritual battle, and had just now been made part of an assault team charged with sabotaging one of those three ships. And they had to do it within a _very_ tight time frame. So a little disorientation was acceptable.

As she as she got her bearings, she turned to Zephyer. "You can read this," she reminded him quietly. "Are we where we're supposed to be?"

"We are," Zephyer replied. "Deck Twenty, Juncture Fifteen," he replied after a moment. "We go down this corridor, we will reach the entry into Main Engineering's upper levels. Hopefully, there will only be one guard there."

"And if we're unlucky?" one of the MACO's asked.

"Then there will be many guards there, and we will have to fight our way through."

"Then I had best go on my way, then," Bre-tac stated, picking up his pack of charges. "Good luck, my friend." With those words of encouragement, he started down the hallway, staff weapon up and ready.

Susan looked at Hayes, who nodded. "We're going to assume that they know we're here, and we'll have to fight our way through," he stated, setting his rifle to heavy stun. "We hit them hard and fast the moment we're through that door. Don't give them the chance to go on the defense."

"And while you're doing that, Zephyer and I will cause quite a bit of damage to their weapons systems," Susan added somewhat cheerfully. "Maybe even their warp drive if we've got the time. Let's go, Lieutenant."

"Of course, Miss Pevensie." He led the way down the hall as the Hayes put his men into position, weapons up and ready.

-  
Corporal Amanda Cole brought her rifle up as the sound of hissing filled the corridors before her, her grip steady. She pushed back the fear of possible death to the back of her mind, instead focusing on her mission.

Death was an old friend of hers that had shadowed her since she joined the MACO's, an evolution of the various marine Corps of Earth. She had fought the Xindi, the Jaffa, even fellow humans when the situation called for it.

But this was an entirely different foe she was dealing with. She was dealing with not warriors, but predators. Predators that would stop at nothing to kill them, simply for the sake of the sport. It was very possible that she would die this day.

She squared her shoulders. If that was indeed the case, then she would die with her head held high, not cowering in a corner, waiting for the end. She would die doing her duty, protecting her ship.

The officers aboard _Enterprise_ seemed to share the same thought as her. Not a single member of the security team that were her trembled at the possible end of their lives. Not a single person took a step back in fear at the sound. They were facing a foe that they knew very little about, but not one person wavered. She felt a swell of pride at knowing these people, now knowing how Archer must feel every single time such a situation occurred. And it brought with it an incredible revelation as well.

_This_ was the future the human race strove to reach. A future where man was willing to reach for the stars, not controlled by greed and a desire for power, but a genuine desire to grow.

A brief smile touched her lips, before she forced those emotions back behind their walls. Emotion was the deterrent in a battle. One needed a clear head if one was to survive the day.

And so, when the first Remans came around the corner, weapons already blazing, it was a clear headed Amanda Cole who fired the first shot with complete accuracy, nailing one of them in the head, even as the ship shuddered all around them...

-  
Zephyer found himself musing about two things as he and Susan made their way down the corridor, only one of them pertaining to the crisis they were facing right now.

The first was the sheer incredulity he was feeling concerning his current situation. All of his life, he had been taught to respect the chain of command, to respect any ship that he set foot on, and to never do anything that could damage said ship. They were among the most sacred objects that their Confederation held dear, if only because the majority of their population lived on them.

And now, here he was, going up against a Fleet Admiral, attempting to disable his ship so he could not do any real damage to a world that, in the end, had done nothing to deserve such a fate. It was as if everything he had been taught was now a deterrent, making it far more difficult to implement this plan without second thoughts. And he was having those in spades.

But he was doing this for the right reasons. And really, the Praetor himself had issued the orders, so there should be no conflict of interest here. So why did he feel so... off about it?

The second thing he was musing about was concerning the woman who was running beside him; Susan Pevensie. A mystery that he needed to solve.

Some tragedy had befallen her. That much he could discern, and it had damn near destroyed her. It had forged her into a far stronger being, if how she was moving through the ship was of any indication. And, from what he had gathered from rather brief snippets of conversation, she had been alone for a very long time.

He quickly decided that he would have to ask her about this later, as they had reached their destination. He quickly put in a code, then opened a panel underneath, revealing what looked like a lever within it. "The manual release," he explained, just in case she was having a moment.

"Always a good thing to have when one is trying to sabotage a ship," Susan agreed, smirking slightly. She obviously knew what he had been doing.

A single twist of his wrist saw that they hadn't locked it out, which meant they hadn't anticipated their coming. This worked in their favor. They would probably have enough time to disable their weapon systems from Engineering. Then the charges would come into play.

That was their thought until a disruptor blast suddenly shot out of the door, barely missing him. He quickly fired back inside, shaking his head. "Apparently, they wanted us to get here!" he commented.

"A predator setting a trap. How unoriginal." Susan placed her hand near her quiver, then nodded. "Draw their fire. I need to hear how many shots are being fired."

Zephyer nodded, firing again. Four shots returned the favor.

Susan immediately moved into the doorway, hand moving so quickly that the Telazian could barely make it out. There was the sound of a group of arrows flitting through the air, then the sound of those arrows hitting their marks, and the sound of pain filled hisses as they then hit the ground.

Zephyer's eyes widened, and he turned to look at Susan in surprise.

Susan shrugged. "I've got a lot of experience," she whispered, a sly grin on her face, before going through the door.

He chuckled in disbelief as he followed her. He was definitely going to get some additional information concerning this woman when impending doom no longer loomed over their heads.

_**-  
Enterprise, **_**Main** **Engineering**

"I should've been a farmer," Trip muttered, readjusting the intermix formula to the warp core for twentieth time. No matter what they said, having a warp core being jostled by repeated impacts did disrupt the formula each time, and not all of them corrected themselves automatically. One needed to keep a close eye on the matter/antimatter calculations at all times. And he wasn't the only one. Three others were also doing the same thing, simply because it was too complex for one person to do it alone.

This was the part of the career that Starfleet didn't tell you about; the times where you have to defend yourself against attackers.

Then there was the mechanical aspect of that danger. Trip made sure that Henry Archer's baby ran smoothly amidst the turmoil, but there was also the problem of the shell. If a crack occurred in the casing, then they would have about ten seconds to two minutes to seal it before a warp core breach occurred, destroying them all.

Of course, the fact they hadn't been destroyed yet was somewhat surprising. Despite the effectiveness of the modified hull plating, the fact its effectiveness had only dropped ten percent in the last fifteen minutes was practically impossible. The _Scimitar's_ weapons were still far stronger than their defenses. For all intents and purposes, they probably should have been scrap metal long before now. So what was going on?

It was a question he could hold off answering until later, when said destruction was not literally beating on their hull. He even pushed his worry for T-Pol to the back of his mind until further notice, as that would distract him from keeping the ship blowing up. If he could only find a way to increase the strength of the phase cannons, then they could probably even out the playing field even more.

His gaze shifted somewhat as he contemplated that little problem, before an idea came to him. Maybe there_ was_ a way to do just that. He quickly gestured one of the other engineers to take over his console, before heading for the intercom. He needed to tell the Captain first before he began shunting anything. "Tucker to the Cap'n..."

-  
"Do it!" Archer ordered, holding onto his armrests as _Enterprise_ shuddered once again. He had no doubt in his mind that the _Crusher _faring little better than his ship in terms of making any leeway. They needed something crazy, if only to delay Dardos a little longer.

They would just have to wait for the right moment to implement it, which would take some time.

Trip's suggestion was borderline crazy; transfer as much power as was possible to the phase cannons for one really high powered blast. If it worked well enough, it should short circuit any number of systems aboard the _Scimitar_ at least. At most, it would weaken their shields considerably. At least, that was the hope.

The downside to the plan was that it would do quite a bit of damage to their own systems, most specifically anything that was tied into their offense and defensive capabilities. In essence, they would be vulnerable. And against their more powerful foe, that was a death sentence.

A brief communication with Karken had alleviated those concerns somewhat. The Commander had suggested that both vessels utilize the plan, only instead of one high powered blast that could cripple a ship, he suggested that both vessels use two half powered blasts, aimed at the same coordinates. That way, they could both get in a second shot.

Travis maneuvered the _Enterprise_ in a tight roll, barely avoiding a disruptor strike from the _Scimitar's_ aft cannons. "We can't keep this up for much longer!" he said. "All they need to do is hit our engines, and it's game over."

"Just keep us flying for as long as you can," Archer replied. "Every second we're breathing is another second our team has to work."

Whether or not their efforts would be enough was the only question that he had no answer for.

-  
It was becoming pretty clear to Susan that she had seriously underestimated the Reman species love for battle.

The moment she had entered Main Engineering, she had been besieged by no less than ten disruptor shots, all coming from every conceivable direction that didn't run the risk of punching a hole in their warp core. Apparently, security wasn't _that_ lax. Either that, or Remans were incredibly paranoid of their allies. Probably the later, as there were non Remans in Engineering, and all of them looked like they wanted to do something else, like launch themselves out of the torpedo tubes.

The Gentle Queen realized that she may have found allies here that she didn't have before. She just needed to earn their trust. Demolition may not even be required.

And so, observing the blasts as they flew overhead, she quickly an arrow, stood up, and let it fly.

A Reman let out a cry as his shooting arm was hit, the shot going wide. Another cry came out of the room as a second Reman was hit by friendly fire. Two down, eight to go.

Zephyer, she noticed, was quickly climbing up a nearby ladder, heading for another one. Quickly pulling her phase pistol out, she started firing in that direction, keeping the attacker focused on her. It worked, as the Telazian was able to get behind him and knock him out with one well placed blow.

The engineering crew quickly realized that their two 'attackers' were focusing their attention on their Reman guards, and were in fact protecting them. They quickly began moving away from their stations, removing themselves from the line of fire.

Susan breathed out in relief as one of her concerns became less paramount, and put her pistol away, notching another arrow into her bow, watching the remaining bursts to accurately determine her next shot, how her next strike would cause the most damage. At the same time, she urged her ally to be careful. She had the feeling that their opponents were fast learners...

Hayes winced as another shot breezed past the top of his head, now grateful for his foresight in ducking at the last moment. If he hadn't, there was probably a good chance he would have had no head. Returning fire, he saw that his shot was just as effective. This was starting to become more of a pain than anticipated.

The Remans seemed to live up to their serpentine reputation pretty well. Despite the fact that the juncture they had chosen was easily guarded, their opponents were able to twist and turn in a way that would make grown humans, and most other species, envious. This allowed them to avoid blows that would otherwise have done considerable damage.

He didn't want to think about how it would help them in hand to hand combat, if it came to that.

One of the corporals reeled back as one of the shots grazed his arm, almost dropping his weapon in the process. "Damn it!" he cursed."Sir, I think there's something in their weapons. Some sort of stunning energy! If I wasn't in full gear..."

Hayes didn't need to hear anymore. It was certainly something he expected from people who practically evolved from hunters. They wanted to come in close for the kill. And that was something that simply would not do at all.

"Hold the line!" he shouted. "They do not get into Engineering, period! We stop them here!"

"Aye, Sir!" Six voices stated as one as they continued firing, no hesitation among them. Just as they had been trained. Just as they believed

-  
Susan was really starting to hate Remans, and for one reason; they just didn't know when to quit.

They had done a hell of a job in systematically taking out each and every single one of their opponents out without killing them. It had been difficult, but not impossible to pull off. And they had done it flawlessly.

Surprisingly enough, she and Zephyer had worked incredibly well together. He was able to instinctively determine exactly where he needed to go so he wasn't in her line of fire, and managed to know exactly when to draw their fire.

But this last one had figured out what they were doing about three Remans ago, and had managed to sequester himself in a spot that could be defended, and with very few weaknesses to utilize effectively. It was going to be a borderline nightmare.

Zephyer had realized it too, as he quickly joined her at the other side of the area, head ducked under the constant barrage. "Well, how are we going to get to him without him blowing our heads off?" he asked rhetorically.

Susan stuck her head out for a second between shots, quickly mapping out the area their elusive foe was hiding behind. "There's a pipe about two feet from his exact position," she replied. "What usually goes through it?"

Zephyer looked up as well, hastily ducking back in after a second. "That looks like one of the oxygen pipes," he noted. "It's actually part of the emergency cool down process in case of a reactor breach. A combination of plasma coolant, liquid nitrogen, and ice cold oxygen are pumped in to prevent an explosion."

"What would happen if I hit it?"

"Think steam, except it's as cold as ice."

Susan nodded, thinking hard as an idea came to her. "And how far would it go?" she inquired.

"Once it leaves the pipe, it will billow to the lowest point of the room, then spread out until it encompasses the entire floor."

Nodding, she turned her attention slightly towards the Engineering Crew, all who were now returning to their stations on the ground level. "What about containment?"

Zephyer immediately grasped what she was suggesting, and quickly signaled one of the engineers. "Prepare a level two forcefield!" he shouted. "But wait for my signal!"

The Engineer quickly nodded, and promptly did so. That alone was enough to tell him that they had no idea what was going on, and were frightened for it. That was good. It meant they wanted to stop the Remans.

Susan pulled her pistol out again, set it for maximum power, then carefully aimed. It was going to take precision timing to achieve this impressive feat.

She squeezed the trigger. Her aim was true.

"Now!" Zephyer shouted.

The beam struck the pipe, allowing a sudden burst of super cold air to suddenly burst out, a split second before the forcefield came online to trap it. It worked perfectly, containing the blast within a confined space.

It didn't come with a sound buffer, though, and the Reman's shrieks of pain could be heard clearly over the hissing air. Apparently, they shared a reptile's weakness for the cold. Susan felt a small shred of gratitude that he was stationed near a door that he managed to get out of, and that the door had not been shielded. Until his nation did a full scale investigation, she was not to paint him with the same brush that she painted Dardos with.

Turning around, she looked at the Engineer who had helped them. "Thank you," she said. "I know you didn't have to do that."

The Engineer shook his head. "Yes I did," he replied. "My people have been pretty much slaves of the Remans since we first joined the Confederation, due to our peaceful stance. To stop them from murdering innocent beings has been something we had hoped to achieve one day. We just..."

"Don't have it in you to fight back." Susan smiled slightly. "Don't worry about it. Anyway, can you seal Main Engineering? We need to be able to work without any further impediment."

"We can do that." The Engineer turned around, and began barking orders in his native tongue. The rest of the staff quickly began punching commands into their consoles with an eagerness that told her that none of them were on the Reman's payroll.

Zephyer smiled. "Their race are master inventors and mechanics," he told her with a swell of pride. "They were among the first races the Sunak came across, and they showed us how to maintain all of our ships for millennium. They are the primary reason why the Confederation is one of the primary powers in this galaxy. We owe it all to them."

Susan nodded, even as she began calculating what they needed to do."What about your fellow Eyes?" she asked, knowing of his position in the Sunakian hierarchy.

"They are already moving into position, ready to strike. All that is waiting is the word."

"The word is given."

_**-  
Scimitar **_**Bridge**

"What do you mean; they are barricaded within Engineering?" Dardos hissed angrily.

The security chief shrank back somewhat at his commander's tone, realizing that his life could be ended if his commander wished it. "The woman who won the Challenge issssss pressssssently in there with Zephyer," he quickly explained."And they were apparently helped by the Engineering staff. Only one ssssssssecurity officer managed to essssssscape, and thought it more prudent to alert usssssss of the sssssssssituation." He quailed backwards. "I have already order more teamssssss to take it back, but the humansssssss sssssssssssoldierssssssss are making it difficult."

Dardos turned away, enraged by how this seemed to be going downward so quickly. When they managed to beam aboard, it had been amusing. Humans, thinking they could actually stand against the premier warriors of the Confederation? It was absurd!

But... that is exactly what they were doing! And they were doing it with a single minded focus that was almost Reman in its intensity. It was almost as if they were willing to lay down their lives in order to win! Why?

In his anger and confusion, it never occurred to Admiral Dardos that humanity could be every bit as vicious, every bit as ruthless as his own people when their backs were to the wall. And humanity was back against that wall, facing extinction as they were. It meant that they were willing to put it all on the line.

None of this occurred to him, so he focused on what he _could _do; namely, keeping his ship from being destroyed or captured. And so he looked at his security chief one more time. "Go join your comradesssssss down there, and take Engineering back!" he hissed menacingly. "And either sssssssssucceed, or die down there, becausssssse I will do far worssssssse to you if you fail and live."

The security chief quickly escaped, knowing that he managed to escape being dishonored before his fellow Remans. Now the only thing he could do to redeem himself was accomplish his mission... or die trying.

Dardos immediately turned his attention back to the screen. "Target _Enterprise!_" he ordered. "I want nothing but dust when we are done! Their assssssault forccccccccce will have nowhere to return to, ssssssssssave for Death'ssssssssss doorsssssssstep!"

_**Enteprise**_

Archer suddenly felt the fury of the impacts increase as _Enterprise_ suddenly jerked hard under him. "Report!" he barked.

"_Scimitar _is focusing its full attack on us, Sir!" Reed replied. "I think they know what we're trying to do!"

T-Pol nodded, running several scans that were normally reserved for the Tactical Officer. But as he was somewhat busy trying to find targets... "Hull plating is down to twenty four percent! I am also detecting slight instabilities in the port nacelle, but I cannot pinpoint the exact location! Engineering..."

_"Already two steps ahead of you, T-Pol! It's an imbalance in the Busssard Collector! We're shuttin' it down!"_

Archer let out a breath at that. Trip was on top of things, as usual. He turned his attention to Ex, who was busy trying to find a way to enhance their phase cannons potency. "Ex, see if you can get our warp engines back online! We need to get out of their range of fire for a few moments!"

Ex nodded, and quickly made her way over to the empty Engineering console. "I'll see what I can do. No promises."

Archer was not a religious man, nor was he a praying man. He hadn't been in a church since he turned eighteen. But right now, in this moment, he sent out a prayer that, if their end was to be here, could the Lord make it quick and painless?

Because the alternative would show just how uncaring their enemy truly was.

_**-  
Scimitar, **_**Main Engineering**

The Engineering staff were truly artists, Susan decided after a few moments. Not only had they sealed off Main Engineering, but they had also brought up the schematics for the _Scimitars_ shields and propulsion system. Right now, the Chief and Zephyer were busy going through them, trying to find a way to cut off power to both.

Unfortunately, it looked as though any attempt to sabotage either device would immediately cut power to life support in all non-Reman sections. Automated defense systems would automatically target and kill and non-Reman lifeforms in the other areas. Not a problem for her, but everyone else would die rather quickly.

Zephyer straightened slightly, rubbing his face fretfully. "The Remans are far smarter than I gave them credit for," he said sadly. "They managed to tie in life support into the engines and shields. If there is any disruption of power from the circuits..."

"We might as well blow ourselves up and be done with it," Susan finished.

"Precisely."

"What about the generators themselves? Can we blow those up without worrying about it?"

"Unfortunately, they are protected by very powerful forcefields. We wouldn't even get close."

Susan rubbed her face tiredly. Things were just not going their way. "Well, we need to find a way to complete our job, otherwise Hayes and his team are going to be mowed down." She shifted her attention over to one of the consoles dotting the wall. "Wait a minute... what does that control?" she asked, curious.

The CE turned to look, a wide eyed look in his eyes. "That controls the life support system," he explained. "But, we won't be able to sabotage that either."

"I'm not planning on sabotaging or destroying it. I just had a wild idea on how we can get the job done. Zephyer... could we fool their life support into thinking that everything is peachy?"

Ah, _that_ surprised him a whole lot. And then a grin spread across his face. "I believe we can," he replied, an idea cooking in his head. He shifted attention. "Can we force a diagnostic cycle?"

The Engineer grinned. "I think we can."

_-  
"Hayes, this is Susan. Fall back to Engineering. The door's open for you."_

"About time," Hayes muttered, signaling for the MACO'S to retreat down the corridor. Their original plan had obviously run into a snag, and now they were making it up as they were going along. That was fine by him. Besides, no real plan survived meeting the enemy. There were just too many variables.

Luckily, not one single MACO was hit as they made their way through the door in question, which was beginning to become suspicious. Either someone up in Heaven liked them, or they were being shepherded into an enclosed space. But why? The Remans would have to contend with the warp core if that were the case.

They would have been happy to know that in this case, it was indeed the former, subtly shifting the targeting scopes of the Remans so they narrowly missed their targets without looking too obvious. It was child's play for a goddess.

Hayes laid suppression fire as the last of his subordinates slid inside, taking delight as he managed to hit one of their pursuers in the arm, eliciting a hiss of pain from a serpentine tongue. He quickly slid in as well, breathing in relief when it closed behind him.

Susan smirked as she looked at him. "Took you long enough," she admonished him teasingly.

"I was delayed," he replied without missing a beat, once again amazed with how unflappable the woman was. _The Chronicles of Narnia_ were among his favorite children series, but they never did explain what happened. Now he knew. "I guess there's a problem with the plan."

"Not as much as you think. We just need to alter our approach a little." She set the charges down. "Instead of trying to blow something up, we're just going to shut it down from here."

Now, Hayes is quite an intelligent man. While he may not have an Engineering background or a whole lot of understanding in science, he was a tactical genius. He quickly guessed what they were trying to do, and approved. It was definitely far less violent, and would insure that those innocent of this weren't needlessly killed. "I guess the question I have is; can it be done?"

"Well, that's what our good friends here are trying to find out. The doors have been sealed, so we should have no problems from the snakes for a while... I hope."

"What about transporters?"

The Engineer looked up briefly. "Let's hope they don't think of that," was all he said. Not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Susan looked to the warp core, then sighed. "We're going to hold Main Engineering until Bre-tac finishes his task," she decided after a moment. "And while we do that, we're going to find another way to hurt them."

-  
"They have ssssssssssealed the doorsssssssssss to Main Engineering," a soldier reported as soon as his superior arrived. "We are unable to break through."

The Security Chief hissed in anger. It seemed that everything was against them on this day. "Have the transsssssssporter chief lock onto all of us, and prepare to beam ussssssssss in!" he ordered. "We are to take no prissssssoners!"

"What about the engineerssssssss?"

"No prisssoners. No witnessessssssss!"

"Aye, SSSSSSSSir."

_**-  
Crusher**_

Karken did not like feeling helpless, but that was just what he was feeling. And for good reason.

_Enterprise_ was taking a pounding, while both ships were unable to return the favor. For some reason, Archer's ship was weathering the bombardment very well, even better than their most optimistic projections, but it was only a matter of time before their hull plating gave out. Then one good shot would take them out easy.

To add insult to potential injury, they were completely ignoring the _Crusher_ as it continued pummeling them with everything they had. They might as well have opening the docking pad door and thrown rocks at it.

"What about their sensors?!" Sheeyal asked frantically. "Can we disrupt them with a high frequency subspace pulse?"

"Negative! They have overlapping defenses over those as well!" a junior officer reported. "We would have better luck just flashing lights at them!" It had been a desperate idea, and one that wasn't going to pan out... but it had to be asked.

Sheeyal suddenly frowned, as an idea began to percolate in her head. Something that was absolutely crazy, but could very well work. "Ts'sr... could we do that? Could we blind them somehow? Allow _Enterprise_ a chance to collect itself, and get the energy necessary to implement the plan?"

_"... Probably. But it will require us to take a very large risk, and hope that whatever is keeping Enterprise from being split open will protect us too."_

_**-  
Enterprise**_

"Captain, the _Crusher's _accelerating," Mayweather reported. His hand flitted over his console, blinking in disbelief. "It looks like Karken is planning on using his ship as a shield. His course is putting him between us and the _Scimitar._"

Archer nodded, his mind racing. Karken was sacrificing himself to protect someone who, until recently, he had sworn a blood oath against. While there was a certain irony to this, he also couldn't allow the other commander to sacrifice himself in this manner. "Malcolm, re-polarize the hull plating now! Then get us in front of the _Crusher _so they can do the same!"

"Aye Sir!" Reed responded immediately, already doing so. Once the plating was back at full strength, they could finally go through with the plan. And the _Crusher_ was absorbing the punishment quite well. Someone up there did like them.

The plating was re-polarized, and the cannons were ready. Now all they needed to do was get out from behind their new ally and pray.

"We're ready!" Ex reported. "Warp is back online, and I have an idea, right out of... well, _Star Trek_."

"What is it?"

"... You ever hear of the Picard Maneuver?"

_**-  
Scimitar**_

Bre-tac stalked the corridors like a hunter, stave charged and ready for use.

He had been left alone for the most part as he head back through the Engineering deck, returning to the room he and Zephyer had been in before. In fact, aside from one security patrol, he had actually run into no one. Normally, this would be a cause for concern, but considering that Colonel Hayes was busy defending Engineering, it was understandable. He was kind of the greater threat.

On the other hand, the fact that Bre-tac, the greatest of all Jaffa, was not being given the same consideration told him a great deal about his enemy. They believed that, because he was an old man, he was no threat to them. In fact, he was probably being observed from some security station on the bridge. It was most likely considered an insult.

And he could understand why. Remans rarely lived to be seventy. And if they did, they usually ended up killing themselves, as their bones were no longer able to handle the strenuous demands of their lifestyle. Their lifestyle was a mystery, but their physiology wasn't.

As such, they would have no real concept of a one hundred and thirty eight year old man doing any real damage to their ship.

And that was all part of the plan that Susan had so hastily put together; their ignoring him as a threat.

Basically, his mission was the same; take the thalaron generator before it could be filled. He just had a few extra objectives, which included him taking out as many of the weapons they had constructed. Basically, make them pay for their folly.

He could do that. And he had a good idea on to do it in one fell swoop.

Quickly entering the room, the Jaffa looked around, taking note of the two guards standing there, weapons in hand. He nodded in approval. Perhaps it would not be as easy as he had originally thought. Then again, perhaps it would be.

Setting his stave weapon against the wall, he very quietly slipped his Zat Nik Tel off of his belt, bringing it up. He pressed the activate button, bringing the weapon on. Its head snapped into position.

The Reman's reaction was just as he anticipated. They quickly turned around, their weapons up and ready to fire. He was just a hair faster, as two bolts of electricity shot out of the snake's mouth, hitting them both before they could do anything. They promptly dropped to the ground, unconscious.

Grabbing his stave weapon, Bre-tac quickly made his way towards the first console, observing its alien script for a second. Finding a panel on the side and setting both weapons down, he tore it off, taking in the wiring. Nodding to himself, he pulled his communicator out. "Bre-tac to Queen Pevensie, I am within the room. I am preparing to disable their generator."

_"Have fun, Master Bre-tac. We're about ready to try and force their shields to drop. Hopefully, that should be enough to even out the odds for _Enterprise_."_

"Understood." He quickly set it aside and began yanking wires out. One of them had to control the generator.

Of course, he knew that the generator was literally useless at this point in time now, as there was nothing inside. This was simply a preemptive strike, designed to force Dardos to divide his forces, and remove something before it became a genuine threat. It would get some of the pressure off of Pevensie's group, and give them a little time to do what they needed to do.

He just hoped it was long enough.

-  
"We have an intruder in the thalaron generator room. Two life-signs overlapping each other."

"Bre-tac," Dardos hissed. It was becoming more and more clear that he should have killed both him and Zephyer when he had had the chance, and damn the consequences. Now they threatened to destroy all of his plans. And how in the hells was _Enterprise_ able to survive their assault for so long! It defied all reason!

He rose from his seat. "He will have neutralized the sssssssssstaff working there, and our ssssssssssoldiers are already deployed." He made his way to the turbolift. "I will deal with him mysssssself. Commander, take over. Continue the attack until both vesselssssssssss are desssssssssstroyed."

"Yessssssssssss, Admiral."

-  
Zephyer nodded to Susan, a grin appearing n his face. "It would appear that we are indeed fortunate," he said. "The diagnostic program _can _be activated from Engineering, _without_ any member of the command staff giving the order." He shifted his gaze to the engineers. "You are a trusting lot, aren't you, Keel?"

Keel, the Chief Engineer, shrugged. "Not so much trusting as it is convenience," he replied. "Most other races do much the same thing, since ships can suddenly break down in the middle of space for no apparent reason. We just need easy access so we can do our job... and to remind the Remans that we hold the ship's fate in our hands." He chuckled. "We would never do such a thing, but they show us a little more respect."

"Not anymore, apparently," Susan replied, remembering how the Remans had been willing fire within Engineering, without real care as to the loss of life. "Whoever they are working for must not care what happens to us mortals. Now, can we activate the protocol before they break through the door?"

Keel grinned. "Already did. It will take about four minutes to begin scanning the shield generators, but it _will_ force the shields to drop. If nothing else, it should even out the playing field a little bit."

"And that..." Zephyer suddenly looked down at his communicator. "My counterpart onboard is contacting me. Excuse me." He stepped away, dropping his head slightly.

Susan shook her head. "I didn't hear a bloody thing."

"The Praetor's eyes use communicators that vibrate softly during a combat situation," Keel replied quietly. "It is to ensure that no one knows who they are. Zephyer is the only one that is known to us, simply because Karken discovered his identity, and kept his on board the _Crusher_."

"Ah." An intelligence network that reported directly to the Praetor. What a useful, if unoriginal idea. _'Looks like spying on your people isn't reserved for just humans,' _she grumbled to herself.

Zephyer turned back around, his gaze now troubled. "Bre-tac is about to have a small problem," he said.

Susan looked at him, becoming painfully aware that the sounds of disruptor fire were getting more prevalent. "And we're not?" she inquired rhetorically.

The Agent shook his head. "Admiral Dardos himself is heading straight for Bre-tac's position, and will reach it in five minutes. It appears that he is going to deal with the problem himself." He sighed. "Dardos is Grand Admiral and leader of the Reman for a reason. He is the best fighter of his people, and also their most cunning. And he is also at least forty years younger than Bre-tac."

Susan grabbed her communicator. "Bre-tac, you've got incoming..."

And then the doors blew open.

-  
Bre-tac heard the Gentle Queen's warning, but had no time to get an exact time for his arrival before they were cut off by weapons fire. Eyes narrowing in irritation, he slid his communicator back onto his belt. He would simply have to prepare for the Reman's arrival.

His analysis of the room revealed that there were three doors to get into the massive room; the one he entered through and two in the main area, each one on opposite sides and directly across from each other. The only place he would be able effectively cover all three exits would be on the other side of the room, near one of the massive assault droids of theirs. There was a small walkway set up right next to it, which also hid someone from view. He could easily take Dardos out before he even knew what was happening.

Under normal circumstances, such a practice was abhorrent to the Jaffa master. He was a man who preferred that his enemies know that he was there, who could fight back. More to the point, he actually was terrible at shooting from a distance. In this case, they needed every single bit of luck they could get their hands on. If that meant he had to do something that went against his nature, then so be it.

Of course, there were more than simply ethical problems, but technical ones as well. The stave weapon was not designed for such an action. It was far too long, and if anyone asked him, very unwieldy to actually use in an actual fight outside of fellow Jaffa.

Not for the first time, Bre-tac found himself envious of the Tauri's ability to built such deadly weapons. Their weapons weren't designed for fear and intimidation, not built for honor like Jaffa weapons. They were designed for war, for killing the maximum number of people n the least amount of time.

He knew he would have to wait until the admiral actually showed up, but he had the advantage when it came to the attack. Dardos wouldn't even know.

As it turned around, as he would soon discover, he probably should never underestimate a Reman, especially this one. Because as he himself should have known, there are always other ways into a room besides the obvious ways.

And in about two minutes, he was going to get a stiff reminder of that.

-  
Dardos was an arrogant being, but he was not a fool. Nor was he an idiot.

The Grand Admiral knew the _Scimitar_ inside and out. He knew the location of every single piece of equipment, where each station was placed, and where single member of his crew lived. He understood the vessel because he had seen the blueprints, then memorized the ship's corridors.

And he knew where to enter where his enemy would never anticipate. In this case, right behind the venerable Jaffa Master. There was a secret door that only he and the Emperor's hand knew about, and he used it to great effect.

Bre-tac was caught unprepared as he was struck from behind, his weapon slipping from his grip. It slid across the ramp, stopping just at the first stair. Not that this knowledge did him any good, as Dardos quickly grabbed him from behind, getting him in a headlock. "You should have stayed onboard _Enterprisssssssssse_," he hissed. "At leassssssssst there, you would died with them."

"You... know... nothing... about me, Admiral Dardos," Bre-tac returned. "As... you know nothing... about... honor!" His elbow slammed into Dardos' midsection, forcing him back just enough to break the hold. Whirling around, he lashed out with a stiff jab.

Dardos effortlessly blocked the strike, before striking himself. His relative youth and superior agility gave him the advantage, as he was successful, knocking the Jaffa warrior back to the stairs, all breath temporarily robbed from him.

Glaring at him, Dardos starting walking forward, pulling his knife out of its sheathe. Not a single word was spoken. Then again, there was nothing left to say. Action was all that remained.

Bre-tac entered a defensive position, eying the knife warily. If the dull throbbing ache in his chest was of any indication, Dardos didn't need the knife. He was obviously powerful enough to break every bone in Bre-tac's body. Add in the fact that Bre-tac wasn't even armed at that moment put him at a distinct disadvantage.

But he did have an advantage. It was his experience. Dardos, as accomplished as he was, just didn't have the experience Bre-tac had. When Bre-tac couldn't defeat his enemy head on, he tried to defeat them from an angle. He would force them out of their comfort zone, then move in. He would have to do that here.

The first thing he needed to do was get some distance between himself and Dardos, before Dardos finally reached him. Luckily, his journey had brought him to his stave weapon, which gave him a promising start to do just that. With a speed that surprised even him, grabbed it, brought it up, and fired it one handed.

Dardos quickly leaped off the ramp onto the assault droid's shoulder, then leaped onto its head, before disappearing from view. _'Pretty clever,'_ he thought, smirking. _'Not clever enough, old man.'_

Bre-tac cursed himself. He was a fool for thinking that it would be as simple as that. The Reman was a hunter, and in this kind of environment, where there were many places to hide and wait, he would still have the advantage. And Bre-tac was considerably rusty with his hunting skills. And he had no idea if he could even track the Reman through this hanger bay.

The stave weapon would be useless in this case. Making his way down the stairs, he set his weapon against the assault droid's side, before heading deeper into the bay, Zat'Nik'Tel out and ready.

-  
"So much for that plan!" Susan shouted. "They're learning real fast!"

The moment the doors had been forcibly removed from it hinges, everyone who had a weapon had begun firing at once, forcing their opponents to stay outside. After all, the entrance would force them into a bottleneck, making them easy pickings.

That worked until for only the first three. Then they threw a flash grenade into the room, forcing everyone to duck and cover. Luckily that was all it was; a big flash. Nothing was damaged, but it did force them to break off their defense.

The Remans, it seemed, were impervious to the sudden bright light, as they started swarming Engineering, disruptors blazing. Three engineers were hit before they could move, dead the second they hit the floor. It told her everything she needed to know about their strategy.

They weren't going to take it easy any longer.

"Anybody have any ideas?!" Hayes shouted over the din.

Susan pulled her pistol out, looking at the warp core for a second, before looking up. "Zephyer, see if you can figure out where they are presently," she whispered as quietly as she could.

Zephyer promptly did so, ducking as a hail of plasma shot overhead. "About ten feet into the room!" he reported.

The Gentle Queen nodded, before pointing upward, and firing twice... at an angle.

The blasts hit the ramp above them, causing a shower of sparks to emit. It did nothing else, just that.

But the Remans didn't know that. They looked up briefly... which was the moment they struck back.

Susan leaped over the console she and Zephyer had been hiding behind, nadion energy pulsing from her pistol to hit the first one dead center. She ducked under the predictable return fire, before smashing into the next Reman. She took great delight in hearing that she hadn't been alone in her movement, as the sounds of hand to hand combat began to fill the cathedral sized room.

Apparently, it was something that they shared with the Remans. They didn't seem to be too perturbed by this apparent change in strategy. If anything, they were loving it. Apparently, fighting them close range was not a smart idea. There was no way all of them were going to win.

It didn't matter, as that hadn't been the reason. It was a stalling action, designed to give the engineers enough time to finish their work. It also had the added benefit of preventing the Remans from using their disruptors anymore. Always a good thing.

The engineers were working frantically, taking this short reprieve for all it was worth. Ignoring the majority of the chaos presently surrounding them, though moving out of the way whenever a fight got too close to them, they were finally able to boot up the diagnostic program. And, through some rather inventive workings, was able to disable the secondary shielding surrounding the main shield generator.

The engineer looked up, saw Susan bash her head into her opponent's head, and nodded, impressed by her skill. She was holding her own against a Reman warrior with ease, and the other humans weren't doing so bad either. Perhaps Dardos should have given them more credit than he did. With the exception of their present technological level, they were able to match it up with the Confederation through sheer audacity. He, personally, was proud to know them.

"Program is now running!" one of his subordinates informed him as quietly as possible. "Shields will be down in about ten seconds!"

"Leaving a window of opportunity of five minutes!" Not a lot of time, but battles had been won in less. They had done their part.

Now it was _Enterprise _and_ Crusher's _turn.

-  
"Sssssssir, our shields are dropping!" Tactical reported.

The Commander's eyes widened. No more information was needed. He already had a very good idea what had happened, and thus did not need to ask. And if _Enterprise _and_ Crusher's _sensors were working at peak efficiency...

A series of strikes slammed into the ship's now unshielded hull, causing very noticeable shudders to go through it, confirming his original assessment. They now had a problem.

-  
"Sir... their shields have just dropped!" Malcolm reported, surprised beyond measure. That was one report he had never thought he would give in the middle of a battle.

Archer was surprised as well, but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. Besides, he had fairly good idea on who was responsible for this stroke of good luck. "Did we finish the transfer to the weapons?" he asked.

"Fifty percent only, sir. Commander Tucker didn't want to burn out the relays before we actually used them!"

"Trip, stop the transfer! We don't need it at full power anymore!" Without waiting for a reply, he immediately shifted back to Malcolm. "Fire at will!"

_-  
"Sir, their shields have fallen!"_ Ts'sr clicked.

Sheeyal and Karken traded looks of astonishment. Once again, humanity had surprised them in a way they hadn't anticipated. They had just evened out the field, as it were. And if the field had been evened out, it was anyone's game now.

Grinning, Karken turned back to Tactical. Ts'sr... open fire. Give them everything we have."

_"Yes, Sir."_

-  
In the darkness of space, three objects moved as one.

_Enterprise_ and _Crusher_ quickly fired their thrusters, moving their ships until their bows were pointing directly at the _Scimitar_. As one, every weapon they had opened up as one, impacting on the enemy ship's unshielded hull.

_Scimitar_, in a display of speed that was at odds with its size, quickly began backing up. Its hull stood firm against the onslaught, though there were blackened marks were an attack hit. Other than that, nothing changed... on the surface.

In the interior, it was different.

Circuits overloaded from the sheer energy coruscating across the hull, causing white hot sparks to shower down on the crew, making it twice as difficult to carry out their duties. The shuddering of the ship taking each blow compounded any repair efforts that began. And there was desperation.

None of this really registered to Bre-tac or Dardos, so focused were they on their own game of cat and mouse. They were aware of it, but neither could do anything about it until they dealt with the immediate problem.

Bre-tac was busy moving through the massive bay, ignoring the shudders that were going through the ship. It wasn't the first time he had been forced to fight an opponent during a ship battle, and it probably would not be the last. He kept this focus on his objective.

Dardos was having similar ease. In his career, he had been involved in nothing less than ten such situations. Even if the ship was falling apart, a warrior had to focus on their immediate prey.

He had no proof of how they were able to deactivate their shields, but he had fairly good idea. But the _Scimitar _was tough. It would hold together under this assault.

Whether or not it was in any shape to join the assault against Earth was another matter entirely.

Banishing such thoughts from his mind, he silently leaped from the head of one assault drone to another, keeping his gaze on the top of Bre-tac's head. He was a fairly decent tracker, as he managed to get close to his location. He just wasn't good enough, as he never found him. Grinning sadistically, he prepared to jump down upon him. He wouldn't have a problem locating him soon enough.

He was just about to make the leap when Bre-tac suddenly looked up. Their eyes locked for a split second, but it was clearly enough, as his weapon came up as well, firing an electrical blast right at him. He was forced to leap off of his perch to another drone's head, as the blast struck the drone head.

Bre-tac tracked Dardos' movements as quickly as he could, his weapon discharging every few seconds whenever he stopped moving. He was confused as to why he looked up at that exact moment, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. And, as it turned out, he was right. There was no time to figure out why that was, as he was quickly in pursuit.

The chase continued on for some time, Bre-tac firing any time he managed to get the Reman in his sights for a split second. And, in a split second before being hit, the Reman would jump away. Cursing in Goa'uld, he picked up the pace.

Dardos finally slid out of sight once more, near a rack of disruptor rifles, forever grateful that he didn't start quivering like a weak, pathetic human being. The Jaffa Master was an excellent shot. If not for his own natural reflexes and instincts, he probably would have been hit. And the old man's luck was uncanny. If he didn't know any better, he would think that the gods were watching his opponent.

If that was case, then he was in a world of trouble.

Making his way to ground level, he didn't even bother waiting. Instead, when he felt that a certain amount of time had passed, he quickly came up, grabbing a gun of his own, and firing in one smooth shot.

Bre-tac immediately took refuge behind another stack of crates as plasma blasts flew overhead. This was definitely not what he had been hoping for. Dardos was a natural born hunter. He knew exactly what he needed to do, and he did it. He needed to find a way to get closer, and fast.

Looking at the crates, then at his Zat, he realized that he might have the answer in his hand.

The Zat Nik Tel was truly a different weapon from the stave weapon. Unlike the staff, which was designed to kill with one hit, the Zat was used of one wanted to capture someone. One blast worked much like the phase pistols stun setting, while two killed. Both acted much like a taser, as it fired powerful electrical currents through the body, short circuiting the nervous in varying degrees.

The third shot, on the other hand, vaporized whatever it hit, regardless of whatever it was.

Waiting for a lull in the shooting, Bre-tac counted to three, and leaned around the crates, firing three shots. And his luck seemed to be holding out, as all three struck with unerring accuracy. The crate disappeared, leaving behind the smell of ozone.

Dardos took the brief opportunity that had suddenly been given to him, squeezing several shots of his own. One actually managed to hit the Zat, destroying the head even as he knocked it out of the Jaffa's hand. He grinned, moving out of his hiding spot, making for Bre-tac's position.

Except Bre-tac was no longer there.

The Admiral's grin grew slightly at this. So the hunt was not yet over. This was good. He would have been very disappointed if it was.

-  
Zephyer managed to get to a higher elevation, despite the sheer amount of fighting going on around him. It was actually impressive to watch humans hold their own against such bloodthirsty opponents.

At the moment though, he had his own enemy to fight, and couldn't afford the time to observe their battles. As he quickly noticed, one of his enemies had managed to follow him up. And he was ready to kill.

He quickly ascertained the identity of his opponent; the Chief of Security. A somewhat bulky fellow, he was known for his tactical know how, combined with sheer brute force. This was a Reman the hunting parties took with them when they had big prey to take down. And for good reason... he could do it.

Luckily, Zephyer knew all of this, and knew that he could match him.

The Reman charged forward, moving faster than one his size should. Luckily for Zephyer, he was just slightly faster. He quickly ducked under the opening swing, slamming his own fist directly into the other male's sternum. Now, under normal circumstances, this blow would stop the being in his tracks allowing for the possibility of a follow up attack.

This Reman not managed to _not_ to fold up like a human accordian, but also had the audacity to look amused. And Zephyer had figured out why. This one was a duranium wall. Not a good thing to face in a fight.

The Telazian was grabbed by his shoulders and lifted up effortlessly, before being tossed about ten feet in the opposite direction. Literally feet. This is no exaggeration, as the good Lieutenant will later tell all who could listen.

The good lieutenant, of course, forced that observation into the back of his mind, as well as the emotions that came with it. He needed to focus on finding a way to actually beat the bastard.

But how _does_ one go about breaking down a wall?

The security chief knew exactly what he was going to; get his hands on Zephyer and tear him apart. It was a basic plan, but then again, he wasn't in the right frame of mind for tactical thinking. He was angry. And an angry Reman didn't think, only reacted. The Confederation as a whole weren't sure if that was a good thing, or a bad thing.

On a semi narrow ramp, with such a creature approaching, Zephyer decided that in this case, it was a very bad thing.

Hayes caught sight of the problem before anyone else. He saw the danger Zephyer was in. He understood that there was little chance of him winning against a being that was a hunter through and through. And he knew that the enemy was on a narrow walkway that would keep his opponent contained.

He knew all of this, just as he knew that if his Reman brought his face any closer, then those rather sharp teeth were going to tear into his throat, most likely chomping down on his jugular, and he wouldn't be able to act with his hard earned knowledge. And a head to head confrontation wasn't really working out. So he took a different approach.

He changed the rules of the game. In this case, he cheated. Because an unthinking animal would never have the intelligence to actually aim for a place that most people would never talk about outside of a doctor's office, and talk about how they managed to crush it in one kick.

Luckily, while there were vast differences between Reman and Human physiology, the males did have one thing in common; the location of their genitalia.

The Reman had about three seconds to comprehend this, as Hayes's knee slammed into his jewels with incredible force. He took those three seconds to look at him, then say, "Nice shot," before crumpling to the ground, clutching at them in agony.

Hayes didn't even slow down. He immediately grabbed his rifle, swung his arm up so that he was pointing at one of the support struts closest to the Security Chief, and fired.

Luckily, the very metal that was used in the construction of their hull was not used in the construction of their walkways. His shot hit one of the smaller support rails that helped keep it up... and broke it. The archway began to shudder a little at the sudden weakness, and the Security Chief stumbled.

Zephyer, it seemed, must have realized that someone had just given him some help, and quickly charged forward, slamming into the Reman with impressive force. The two males hit the ramp rather hard, causing one of the other struts to start breaking as well.

Hayes nodded to himself, satisfied that he was able to give their ally an advantage, even if it was temporary. Sometimes, a temporary advantage was all you needed. He turned his attention back to his opponent, who was starting to get back to his feet, albeit slowly. "Stay down," he said, before slamming his armored boot into the Reman's head. Then he went looking for another opponent, as the other male went back down, unconscious.

-  
Dardos decided that he didn't like being a target at all. And that was for one reason; it meant that he wasn't the hunter. He was the hunted.

Bre-tac was proving himself to be even better than the legends say. He not only had more experience, but he also had instinct and an impressive degree of luck that he hadn't thought was possible. It was almost as if the gods were behind him. But that was absurd. They only aided those who were worthy. And he was _not_ worthy.

He had finally tracked Bre-tac down, finding him behind another stack of containers, back turned. He tried to take the Jaffa Master by surprise, only to realize that Bre-tac had set a trap of his own. Before he could attack, Bre-tac had whirled around, slamming into the crates and toppling them over, with a little help from the shuddering deck beneath them. Dardos was only just able to get out of the way.

Bre-tac came at him, a knife now in hand and slashing in an upward fashion. Dardos managed to dodge out of the way before it could connect with his chin. Dancing backwards, he observed Bre-tac as the other warrior slowly moved forward, tracking his every move. It was pretty impressive, as it appeared like he was seeking an opening in which to attack. He would be very surprised if that wasn't the case. But he still had his disruptor rifle.

Bre-tac was indeed trying to find an opening of attack, and was also trying to locate a weakness that he could exploit. It would be difficult against a being that evolved from being a hunter and was armed with a rifle to boot, but he would persevere somehow.

Dardos' eyes shifted slightly to the right, then the left. The rifle would be ineffective in the beginning. Bre-tac had sufficient room to dodge any shot fired. And if his luck held out, then it would draw out this hunt far longer than it needed to go. So, he did something unexpected.

He set the rifle down, and pulled his own knife out, holding it ready. "Let us ssssssssee if your sssssssskillssssssss are asssssss legendary asssssss they ssssssssay," he hissed, before charging, blade whistling.

Bre-tac deflected the strike the only way he could; by slanting the blades away and to the right. Another attack was deflected to the left in a similar matter, allowing him to slam his elbow into Dardos' chest, forcing him back. "You will find that I am more than equal to the task of defeating you!" he retorted, going over this new bit of information. If this was the extent of his ability to use a knife, then the fight was going to be over before it began.

Th two came at each other, knife blades clashing against each other in a flurry of systematic offense and defense. There was no bestial flaying about, no wild swings. Each strike was made with two purposes; to get a better understanding of their opponent's fighting style, and to see if they could get an early blow in. Pretty difficult to do when the ship around them wanted to fall apart at the seams. It was difficult, but they managed.

A brief disengage as they stopped to catch their breaths, circling each other warily. A brief moment to go over what they had observed. A brief moment to figure out just how much they had before the ship was destroyed.

Bre-tac revised his earlier assessment of Dardos' skill. He was obviously skilled, if the last several minutes were of any indication, and he could fight with the best of them. But it looked like he had a small problem with thrusting forward. Perhaps the Reman bone structure wasn't developed to do perfectly straight shots, which meant that Dardos would have to compensate. There was a weakness to use, after all.

Dardos, by contrast, had noticed that Bre-tac was somewhat slower due to his age, but his strength was still superior to that of a human man half that. He was disciplined, and focused on the goal. And while they were both running against the clock here, he didn't actually have to complete his mission. The bombardment the two ships were delivering to the _Scimitar_ would deal with that.

There was no time to worry about that, as Bre-tac came right at him in a straight line. Apparently, he had figured out the Reman's physical limitation. It was simply due to how they evolved, hunting the other creatures on their home world. Those animals always zig-zagged at the last moment there, which meant slightly different bone structure was a must.

Here, when the prey was a fighter himself, one who could think himself, it was a bit of a hindrance. He would have to be careful, use his relative youth to his advantage.

Both decided that the battle between them would last longer than the battle of the ships.

_**-  
Enterprise**_

T-Pol finished her calculations, and sent them to Tactical for reed and Ex, when a sudden surge of foreboding shot through her mind. She had no idea as to why she had this feeling at this moment, but she did know what it meant.

Commander Tucker was in danger. Quite possibly, mortal danger.

"Captain, I believe that one of the Remans has manged to enter Main Engineering!" she called out, already rising from her seat.

Archer turned his attention towards her, obviously reading the expression on her face. Seeing the desperation there, he decided to take it at face value. "Go," was all he said.

He needn't have bothered with saying even that, as T-Pol was already in the lift, heading for the Engineering Deck.

* * *

After some quick consideration, I've decided to split this Chapter into two parts, so here is Part One. I'm still working on Part Two, which I hope will be ready by some point in February. Sorry for the extremely long wait. I have been trying to get back up to speed on everything.


	43. Chapter 42 Part Two

**Episode Forty Two, Part Two**

Trip felt a sense of foreboding got through him, just before he caught sight of the one thing he _didn't_ want to see.

A Reman slithering out of one of the crawl ways in Engineering.

He immediately shouted, "Intruder!" before having one of his subordinates take over for him, and launching himself from the Master Control Board. He had only one imperative; protect the warp core. If that was damaged, then they would either be forced to shut it down completely, or it would detonate, killing them all. Neither option was acceptable during a battle.

The Reman had just stood up, and was reaching for a plasma grenade, when he was suddenly hit from the side, and slammed into the wall. It didn't take long for him to realize that he had just been attacked by one of the human engineers. He hadn't thought it possible for a human to move so fast, but there it was. Oh well.

Effortlessly shoving the human back, he pulled his knife out and got ready to gut him. After all, he was just a weak human. What could he do?

Tucker showed him exactly what, as he moved out of the way somewhat, just to avoid that attack. He followed that with a powerful straight shot to the jaw. It did no good, but it was surprising. And that annoyed his opponent.

The Reman's counterattack was far more effective, knocking the man back. He came after him with the knife before he could recover, slashing quickly. He managed to slice through one of the Engineer's sleeves and probably through skin as well. Not that you could tell, as the Engineer just came at him again, seemingly unaffected. It was either a shallow wound, or he was high on adrenaline. Either way, he was going to have to do more damage. A whole lot more.

Trip didn't bother checking his sleeve to see if there was more damage, instead simply going forward again. His only goal was to keep the Reman from doing his sabotage, possibly disable him too without killing him. At least, that was the plan. How well that plan would work out was entirely in the hands of Fate.

His biggest concern was doing this while his staff was running around, trying to keep the ship from being destroyed from the _Scimitar's_ weapons. All it took was one moment, and one of them could be caught in the crossfire, and be injured or killed.

He watched the Reman as he moved his knife in a hypnotic fashion, getting ready to attack. He shifted his own stance, preparing to move. He was no real fighter, but he knew a few things about combat, due to the lessons from the MACO's. And chief among those was that you didn't watch the opponent's hands... you watched their eyes. More often than not, they revealed the true intent of your opponent, and not just as to what they were going to do to you.

But also how they were going to move.

The Reman charged forward, arms moving in a blur, one after another. Trip avoided the first shot, blocking the arm with the knife wielding hand with both of his. He kicked out with a foot, scoring a hit in the gut. A little short from where he was aiming, but the best he could do under the circumstances.

It didn't have the effect he was hoping, as most humanoid lifeforms tended to fold like an accordion when kicked in the gut. Then again, the Reman probably moved with the kick, or his muscular structure was specifically designed to withstand such blows. He would never know. It did force him back, which was something. Just not enough for a followup attack.

The Reman moved forward again, slashing quickly once... twice... three times in rapid succession, trying to drive Tucker back towards the warp core. He knew that eventually, he would run out of room to evade, and be forced to take a blow in order to insure no harm came to their power source. It was a certainty, as any power source that was damaged would invariably either shut down... or explode. He was aiming for the latter, of course.

But how did the human even know to go right at him? Not even ESP could explain that immediate response. Not important, but still confusing.

Trip, of course, knew what this guy was trying to do, but trying to get around him was proving to be difficult. The knife was moving in a blur, and he couldn't trust his eyes. One second it was right in front of him; the next, he felt a brush of wind as the blade flew past his face. It was all he could do to keep himself from being cut wide open. Blocking him again was out of the question, as both of his arms were aching from just doing it once. He also had the feeling that the Reman would have the advantage with close range combat.

His back hit the a spot close to the warp core, and knew that he had lost whatever slim chance he had to get away from there. He was going to have to do a suicide charge, and hope that the saboteur's attention remained focused on him long enough for one of the others engineers to actually shoot him. It was doubtful, though, considering their close proximity to one another.

The Reman had the same thought, as a particularly sadistic smile started to cross his face. "Looksssssssss like your out of optionsssssssss," he hissed. "Now die."

"You first."  
-

T-Pol uttered that one very simple phrase, even as she slammed into the Reman with every ounce of strength in her body. And, considering that Vulcans were twice as strong as human beings, that was a lot of strength she could call upon.

The Reman found itself going in the opposite direction that it had gone, a little surprised by this little display of strength. But only surprised. This only meant that she was a challenge... a challenge that he could not afford to have. He had to end the fight as quickly as possible.

T-Pol had similar thoughts, but they were geared towards something a little more personal than that. She was protecting the _Enterprise_ from being sabotaged and destroyed, true. But more than that, he was her friend, and more. She was not losing him today, or any day if she could help it.

And the first step in making sure that _didn't_ happen was getting that damn Reman out of Engineering.

Using every ounce of Vulcan discipline she possessed, T-Pol slid to the right somewhat, keeping the Reman focused on her. She had established the fact that she was the far more immediate threat by now. All she had to do was keep reminding him of that.

The Reman, it seemed, didn't need reminding, as his eyes remained focused on her. She could guess that, deep in the psyche of this male, the animal within was viewing her as a rival hunter. She supposed that, in a way, she was. She was definitely feeling like one.

More to the point; the Remans were hunters and warriors. So what? Her world's life history was literally gushing blood. Her people had damn well nearly wiped themselves out in dynastic warfare thousands of years ago. Nuclear weapons had destroyed entire cities. Brothers slaughtered brothers on the battlefield, wives and daughters dissected their family's killers with sadistic delight, and powerful mind lords crushed entire armies as if they were nothing more than ants. And, despite Surak coming forth with a new way of life, those violent instincts were still there, just waiting to be unleashed.

And T-Pol gave them a bit of an outlet, as her expression shifted slightly. She could feel strength flow through her body as her emotions bubbled closer to the surface. But only just. Her new experience with emotions helped to keep it from consuming her.

She decided to be grateful for humanity later, as the Reman now came at her with lightning speed, blade coming at her. She reacted on instinct, bringing up her left arm in defense, even as her right hand came forward in a roundhouse punch. The Reman blocked her attack, even as she blocked his as well. He couldn't block her next attack, though, as she kicked him hard, gaining some distance, before hitting him with a jab. She was pleased to see that it worked, as his head snapped back, a hiss of what she presumed was pain erupting from his throat. As he backed up, she whirled in an impossibly fast spin, kicking the dagger out of his hand. At least she removed one weapon from his arsenal. Now she had to do the same to him.

Except he had managed to regain his equilibrium far faster than anyone human or vulcan could ever hope to, his close fist smashing into her chin with equal force to herself. He moved closer so as to follow up with an open hand strike, utilizing his claws.

T-Pol leaped up before that could happen, slamming both of her feet into his chest with bone crushing force. And it was effective, as she thought she heard a bone snap. Landing hard, she flipped back up to vertical base, entering a defensive position. Trip, she noted by this time, had gotten back to his station, knowing that he'd only get in the way of this fight.

And then she was only aware of the fight, as the Reman came at her, picking her up and throwing her across Engineering. She hit a wall near one of the doors, falling to the floor, head spinning... but not enough to take her out of the fight. In fact, she had a way to get him out of Engineering now.

The Reman came at her again, almost completely consumed by blood lust. In fact, he hadn't even really noticed how she had moved about half a foot to the right. He only charged.

T-Pol hit the door controls, opening the door just before he hit her. Then, the moment they hit the deck, she dug her foot into his sternum, flipping him off of her, while trying to get her breath back. That was just a tad more painful than she was anticipating, but at least she had no broken bones or limbs to worry about. Not that her opponent was deterred by his own. If anything, it seemed to have galvanized him into action. He was a wounded animal. And next to a mother protecting her children, a wounded animal was the most dangerous kind of warrior.

T-Pol decided that there was a distinct possibility that her ancestors would have had nothing on the Remans.  
-

Silik felt the vibrations through the deck, and nodded. For some reason, this did not surprise him in the least. Archer managed to anger yet another species. Humanity's ability to do that seemed to know no bounds.

That was, until he heard the first shots in the hallway. And then he had a different thought. Perhaps Archer had done nothing. Perhaps the Sunak just weren't going to stop their assault. That would bring an entirely new set of troubles to them all.

On the plus side, he finally managed to locate his way out; through the ventilation shaft located just above the bunk. It was obviously a flaw in the construction of the brig. He quickly slid into the shaft headfirst, using his enhancements to slide along silently.

Perhaps he could do some good while on board... like stopping the assault.  
-

T-Pol's revised earlier assessment, she decided, was spot on, as she was thrown down the hallway, skidding a good ten feet on carpeted floor. She had never known that anyone could actually skid on a carpet, but she now had a story to tell on that.

And it hurt... a lot. She was grateful to be wearing something that wasn't backless, or she would have a raw, bloody back for it. Such as it was, she was going to be meditating for a good long while after this was all over.

Shoving the pain to the back of her mind, she got to her feet in time to block another blow. She retaliated with three straight shots to the jaw, hoping to break something this time around. She was not successful, though it did seem to hurt her opponent some. Encouraged by this, she kicked him in the chest, putting a bit more power into it. Ah, illogical to enjoy hearing the sound of another bone snapping, but oh so satisfying all the same. It showed that they weren't invulnerable to damage. They were just better at hiding it from view.

This Reman certainly was doing just that. Despite the pain he was most likely feeling, he came at her again with lightning speed. Obviously, two broken ribs were not that much of a determent. This was proven once again as he began throwing very well coordinated strikes at her defenses, not even a slither of the pain he must be feeling showing through. Apparently, they could be jacked on adrenalin as much as any other species.

It also gave T-Pol a chance to observe the Reman's combat skill which, perhaps unsurprisingly, was quite decent. He was quite fluent in punches, which suggests that he was adept at his people's form of boxing. But his arms didn't completely move like most humanoid races did. It was like he was forcing them to move in a straight line, but just couldn't quite do it. Perhaps an evolutionary quirk that had yet to disappear. Regardless, it meant that his attacks were always going to be quite off.

The real disadvantage here for him was his age. Though she couldn't tell what age he was, his very eager air told her that he was really young. She was too by Vulcan standards, but even in her youth, she still had more experience. She could use that to her advantage.

Blocking one of his punches, T-Pol locked his arm in hers, then used her free fist to start punching him in his injured area, each blow meant to debilitate him further. The idea was to make sure that he actually felt the pain. She finished up by grabbing him, and throwing him down the corridor into the intersection bulkhead. She followed immediately. A predator had to stay on top of the challenger, not give them any time to recover.

The Reman recovered far more quickly than she could have ever anticipated though, clawed hands slashing out and catching her in her arm before she could react. Her forward momentum disrupted, he punched her hard, almost taking her head off with a haymaker that send her back the way she came.

Coughing up blood, T-Pol struggled to get back up. She didn't even get one one elbow before the Reman helped her do so.  
-

Archer could almost hear the groaning of the hull plating as his ship was pummeled once again. Despite all of the damage they had managed to inflict upon the now unshielded vessel, it was still giving them a pounding like no other, even with Travis's incredible display of piloting and maneuvering. The fact they were still fighting at this late stage, still alive in fact was nothing short of incredible, if not outright impossible.

Certainly, Travis' piloting skills were part of it, as he had become adept at avoiding the _Scimitar's _weapons. It definitely decreased on the number of impacts their hull plating took. And it certainly helped that Malcolm had used that to his advantage, having recalibrated his scanners to target areas that they had already damaged in an effort to damage them even further. And having the _Crusher_ performing the same impossible feat was definitely a boost in confidence.

It was almost enough to make him believe in miracles.

Focusing on the here and now, the captain turned his attention to Malcolm. "Weapons status!" he barked.

"Phase cannons are at fifty two percent capacity, and we have almost exhausted our complement of photonic torpedoes," Malcolm reported almost immediately. "Hull plating is down to twelve percent."

Nodding to himself, Archer gripped his arm rest a little harder as he tried to come up with another plan of attack. "Can we target their impulse engines in an overlaying pattern? Disable them that way?"

Ex shook her head. "They always protect their engines with force fields, just in case their enemy tries to do something like that," she replied. "They figured out how to vent the plasma from their exhaust ports without leaving themselves vulnerable."

Nodding, Archer began thinking again. Human based tactics were not going to work here. But then again, perhaps one could. The strategy Ex had suggested earlier, in fact, just modified. "Archer to Engineering, transfer all available power to the SIF immediately! Malcolm, load in those quantum torpedoes, and target the coordinates the _Crusher_ sent us! We're going to see just how strong they really are!" Without waiting for a reply from either officer, he turned towards Communications, an idea forming. "Ensign, signal the _Crusher_! Once our five minute window is near its end, both ships are to go to warp at the same time!"

"Aye, Sir!" the Ensign replied, already sending the message to Karken's ship.

Archer settled back in his seat, a small smile gracing his face. If he ever met this Captain Picard, he was going to congratulate him for creating such a stratagem on the fly.

And perhaps they would be able to save the away team in the process.  
-

Karken looked to his helmsmen, awaiting his report.

The helmsmen did not disappoint. "It is within our capabilities, and mine," he replied. "My only concern is that the _Scimitar_ will target us before we complete this maneuver."

"I suspect that this will not be a problem."  
-

_**Scimitar**_

Well, both were right; the battle had gone on far longer than either had time for.

Bre-tac had felt a sudden shift in the air, like something was going to happen very soon. And if he didn't speed it up a little, there was a good chance he would be dead by the end of it, alongside Dardos. And that was definitely not part of the plan.

Dardos came in, attacking with as straight of a jab as he possibly could. Bre-tac dodged it, grabbing the arm with his hand. Shoving it back, he hit the Admiral several times, completing the combo with a whirling kick that knocked him into the closest pack of crates. The admiral promptly hit the ground, the crates following him down in a tumble. He didn't get back up, only lay there, groaning.

Bre-tac knew that this would not last, and went to grab his staff weapon. He didn't trust using the Reman's disruptor on him. He didn't know if it had a fail safe attached that prevented non Remans from using it, and he wasn't keen on finding out.

Sadly, he wasn't going to get the chance, as Dardos suddenly emerged from the wreckage, thoroughly enraged, and grabbed one of the crates in his hands. With a hiss that was the Reman's version of a roar, he threw it his opponent.

The Jaffa quickly flipped to the left to avoid the impromptu projectile, using one hand to pivot in mid air so that he would be facing Dardos once more, marveling at the show of endurance that was being shown right here. No Jaffa, or Goa'uld for that matter, would have recovered so quickly after that.

But there was no time for this. Whatever was going to happen was going to happen soon. He needed to complete his part of the mission quickly, and get out of there before Susan decided to overload the engines out of sheer boredom or desperation. But, it was starting to look like that wasn't going to be the case. Dardos wasn't going to stop until he was dead. And Bre-tac just didn't have the stamina or patience for an even longer battle. He was already feeling exhaustion clawing at the edge of his consciousness, which very rarely happened.

Knowing better than to show this weakness to an enemy, he prepared himself for the follow up attack. He didn't have to wait long, as Dardos had already picked his dagger up again and came at him once more.

Dardos was both angry and happy. On the one hand, he was enjoying this fight, more than he should have given the circumstances. So much so that he wanted to prolong it as long as possible. And, if he wasn't on a ship that was currently being taken apart, he would.

On the other hand, he was angry. The sheer fact that this _mammal_ was able to play his game with incredible ease. Of course, it was Bre-tac of Chulak, but still...

He did see that his adversary was tiring as he came forward, but knew that it would simply make him fight all all the harder. It would also mean that he would be even more cunning, if that was possible. He had to end this immediately, then get back to the bridge before...

The two warriors collided once again, blocking and delivering powerful blows that would most likely break most others. Wrists holding knives were grabbed, sent slanting away from delivering potentially fatal wounds to their target. They slammed one another off anything they came across, from weapons racks to the massive droids lining the walls.

Dardos finally kneed Bre-tac in the gut, barely missing his symbiotic pouch, bringing his dagger down. Bre-tac managed to recover enough to halt its descent, bringing his own knife up. Dardos grabbed _his_ wrist, stopping it from being buried into his side. The two struggled with one another and their own exhaustion, trying to gain enough strength to overpower or out maneuver the other first.

And then the _Scimitar_ herself settled it for both of them when it stopped shuddering... and started bucking.  
-

_**Voyager**_

"How much longer until we reach the _Enterprise_?" Janeway barked, holding onto her arm rests tightly as her ship shuddered around her, pushed to her very limits.

"About five minutes, thirty seconds!" Paris replied, fingers dancing over his console like a pianist. It was taking all of his skill, the ships own automatic correction protocols, and a whole lot of luck, to keep the ship on course and not flying apart in a thousand different directions.

After Yggdrasil had contacted her (and she was still having difficulty accepting the fact that she had had a conversation with _Heaven_) Janeway had immediately informed the fleet that _Voyager _would be heading out to back up the _Enterprise_ as it tried to stop the Sunak invasion, before ordering full impulse out of the solar system. Luckily, they hadn't run into anything along the way, and had accelerated to maximum warp as soon as they had moved past Pluto. B'lanna had even managed to coax a few decibel points more out of the engines, increasing their top speed somewhat. Hence, the shaking.

Chakotay looked at his small console for a moment, shaking his head. "By the time we get there, Archer's ship will most likely be debris," he said.

"Well, let's hope that's not the case." Janeway leaned back, eyes sticking to the screen. "Keep us as steady as possible, Tom!"

"Yes, ma'am!" Paris replied.  
-

There is an underlying brilliance to the Picard Maneuver, a rare simplicity, but also a great deal of finesse and an understanding of physics. Also, there are certain criteria that must be met before it can be deployed.

During a battle, the ship utilizing the maneuver accelerates to warp speed for a fraction of a second, creating the illusion of the ship being in two places at once. If timed correctly and barring complications, like the enemy knowing of the maneuver, it would be enough to confuse that enemy long enough to strike a deadly blow.

Captain Picard in the Twenty Fourth Century created the maneuver that would be named after him during a battle with a Ferengi vessel at Maxia Zeta. His ship, the _Stargazer_, had been heavily damaged, but still was able to perform to the necessary specifications required.

The problem in the current battle was simple. The ships that were preparing to do it now were nowhere near as advanced. The calculations would have to be exact, as the controls were nowhere near as fine. And they were fighting against a crew that most likely had a similar maneuver invented during their long period history. Finally, there were two ships about to perform the maneuver. If the calculations were not sound, _Enterprise_ and _Crusher _would most likely slam into each other, most likely causing irreparable damage to one another in a collision, if they didn't destroy one another outright.

Well, they were going to find out if their respective helmsmen were worthy of their future legendary status. Because the time had come to spring the attack.  
-

_**Scimitar**_

The _Scimitar's _tactical officer was understandably shocked.

He had just targeted the engineering section of the _Crusher_, as well as the port nacelle of the _Enterprise_, and had just been ready to fire everything they had at both spots... when both ships suddenly...duplicated. There was no other way to describe it. One moment, there were two ships; the next, there were four. It completely baffled him. And what was more, sensors were of no help whatsoever.

The commander turned to him. "Well?" he asked.

He was spared with answering when the two ships closer suddenly cut loose with everything they had at their disposal. And the _Scimitar_ did not just shudder... it bucked like an animal trying to unseat something it did not want on it.

Tactical's eyes widened. If he was reading the explosions correctly, then the _Enterprise_ had just fired something hundreds of times stronger than what they had been using before. He was detecting zero-point energy in each explosion that rocked their hull, aside from the usual matter/antimatter. That could only mean one thing.

They had been given quantum torpedoes.

"Report!" the Commander barked.

Tactical looked up. "The _Enterprise_ has just fired three quantum torpedoes at... Deck Fourteen, Auxilary Shield Control! We will not be able to restore our shields without that backup!"

The Commander began to realize that whatever the maneuver they had just done had managed to cripple their main line of defense. And the use of Quantum Torpedoes... where did the humans manage to get such advanced weaponry? The battle had just been one unanswered question after another, and the inconsistencies were still cropping up. Unless...

Was the crew of the _Enterprise_ being aided by a god as well, even if they weren't aware of it?  
-

Susan would have leaped for joy, if she weren't busy trying not to get hit by debris.

Apparently, Archer had found a strategy that actually managed to do some serious damage, as the Engineering Staff were now trying to stabilize the personal force fields surrounding Main Engineering, as well as making sure that the Warp Core was not going to melt down any time soon. (She had no idea if warp cores acted like nuclear reactors, but that sounded about right.)

Most of the Reman's had been dealt with in the resounding chaos, either succumbing to MACO fire, or being hit by pieces of the ceiling. All in all, it was far easier to deal with them.

Only one Reman remained; the one who was presently fighting Zephyer. Somehow, they had managed to avoid being hit, and the ramp they were on had held up surprisingly well, despite the damage caused by Hayes' expert shot. She would have to thank the gods later for that.

But it looked as though the ramp wouldn't hold up for much longer. She could hear the groaning that usually came when a structure had been pushed to its limits and was about to collapse in on itself. And the two combatants were still fighting.

Unerringly, her thoughts shifted back to Narnia, when she Caspian fall into that crater he had helped create, and General Glozelle held him at spear point. The Telmarine stayed his blade that day, but that would not be the same here. The Reman was not Glozelle. Zephyer was not Caspian.

_'But he is still honorable,'_ she thought. _'He is willing to learn.'_ And with that, her decision was made.

She brought her bow up, notched an arrow, and brought it to bear on the Reman. She would have to be very precise. Otherwise, the Reman would either dodge, or move fast enough to use Zephyer as a shield.

The opportunity presented itself when the Reman, who had managed to gain the upper hand, was suddenly shoved off by Zephyer, who had managed to finally get his feet under him. She let the arrow fly, even as Zephyer flipped his knife around, and threw it in perfect sync. He had anticipated Susan's attack with ease.

The Reman avoided the knife that would have slammed into his sternum.

He didn't avoid the arrow that wedged itself into his head.

Zephyer immediately made his way back towards the more stable portions of the ramp as the Reman's body hit the platform with the force of a dead weight, causing it to buckle. It was obviously the impact that broke the proverbial camel's back, as that portion of the ramp finally broke, plummeting to the bottom of the Engine Room.

One of the MACOS' looked at Susan with something akin to awe. "Nice shot," was all he said.

Susan shrugged modestly. "I've hit things a whole lot smaller than his head," she replied modestly, before looking up. "Are you alright, Lieutenant?" she called up.

Zephyer nodded. "I am well, Miss Pevensie!" he called down, making his way back to the ladder. "And while I may have eventually won on my own, your assistance is most appreciative. What of you?"

"I'm okay, and so are the MACOS. The Remans had nothing on us... which is kind of strange, I'll admit."

Zephyer grinned as he reached ground level, walking over to them. "It simply means that we had a god or goddess aiding us as well," he informed her confidently. "Only this one merely insures to even the battle field, and lets us prove our worth through our own merit."

Hayes decided that it was enough that they had that much help, since the conversation was starting to veer towards the metaphysical and thus out of his mindset. "Well, for whatever the reason, we've held our position, and that's enough. Now, what the hell happened?"

The Chief ran a systems check. "It looks as though _Enterprise _and_ Crusher _have managed to destroy the auxiliary shield generators," he reported, a tentative smile emerging. "We won't be able to raise our shields now, even when the diagnostic program ends. It's a built in fail-safe to prevent destabilization of the shield bubble during battle." His smile faded. "Unfortunately, it also means that you will need to get off the ship as quickly as possible before it is destroyed.

Susan understood all of this, but also knew that they couldn't just yet. "We may not need to worry about _Enterprise_ and _Crusher_ being turned into scrap metal anymore, but the thalaron generator still needs to be destroyed." She frowned for a moment. "But how?"

Hayes grinned. "I don't know, but I may have an idea as to how stop the _Scimitar _without blowing up the ship..."  
-

_**Enterprise**_

T-Pol slammed into stack of cargo bins, feeling every muscle in her back protest the sudden impact. Of course, that was because they were were protesting the number of hits she had already taken, but that last one still hurt.

Feeling a slight trickle under her nose, she gently dabbed the spot in question, finding a hint of green on her palm. Her own blood.

The sight did nothing to dissuade her. In her sixty plus years of life, she had been sent on missions where she had found herself bleeding in the end. The sight of blood no longer affected her as it once had. She didn't even need to regulate her body to prevent her stomach churning. Instead, she was regulating it for a different reason.

A feral grin split across her face as the ancient bloodlust of her people poured through her veins, and she was fighting to control it before it consumed her. This was the one thing the Master of _Kohlinar_ always stressed; that emotion could ultimately destroy a Vulcan from within. She was beginning to understand a little bit as to why.

But she also remembered one thing that Captain Archer had told her during their first mission; _"The galaxy is not going to be run on logic. It's going to be run on passion."_ And he was right. So many races out there, and none of them had embraced logic as Vulcans had. They didn't need to. They had found other, more productive ways in channeling the primitive aggression that was part of the humanoid psyche. The Klingons had set up a strict code of honor. The Andorians followed a similar policy. The Tellarites merely focused less on combat and more on trade. And the humans... they simply succeeded through pure will alone. They had achieved world peace in only fifty years, which was a feat that no other race had managed to do.

And so, she used that knowledge to help her control the bloodlust... while she looked around for a weapon to use. The Reman was just too powerful to take on in hand to hand combat. She needed something to even the odds.

She finally found one; a spare beam that the used to reinforce the hull should it start to buckle. It was comprised of the same duranium/titanium alloy as the ship. She decided that it would also make a fine club as well. And she was going to test it right at that moment.

Whirling around, she quickly smashed the Reman across the face, just before he could try and rip her head off of her shoulders. The Reman couldn't hiss in pain, as its mouth was forcibly closed by it. He went flying back, slamming into the nearest wall with enough force to actually dent it.

T-Pol blinked, looking at herself for a second. "Maybe humanity's on to something about passion," she mused loudly, before getting back into the correct mind frame. Namely, ensuring that her enemy didn't get back up when she knocked him down. The very enemy who, at that moment, was picking up an empty canister and throwing it at her with superb accuracy.

She promptly fell to her knees, bending backwards as she literally _slid_ underneath the projectile, returning to her feet once again as she swung her 'club' once again.

The Reman caught it just before it connected, stopping its forward momentum. He tried to jerk it out of her hands without success. T-Pol snarled at him, shoving him back into the wall as hard as she could. It didn't seem to have any effect, except to make him angrier. He shoved back even harder.

The two enraged fighters took a simple approach in combat; bashing one another into whatever was available to ram into. The Cargo Bay was soon an absolute mess of scattered bins and crates... and neither one of them was done yet. Neither could really feel the aches and bruises, hyped on adrenalin as they were.

T-Pol finally flipped up, performing a feat of flexibility that was all but impossible for most humanoids. With her grip still firm on the beam, she flipped over it to catch his head between her legs. Then, continuing this feat of acrobatic impossibility, she managed to lift him off his feet, tossing him over her, which also served to make him lose his grip on the beam. He didn't go far, but it was enough to give her the advantage for a few seconds. And use those seconds, she did.

The Reman saw the pipe coming down, ready to cave in his skull like it was a melon. He quickly rolled out of the way, hearing it slam into the floor rather forcefully. He caught sight of the dent that had been left behind, and came to the conclusion that he really didn't want her connecting with his head again. He doubted he would survive it.

He also decided to remove her advantage as quickly as possible, so before she could bring the beam down again, he scissor kicked her legs out from underneath her, taking her down. She lost her grip on the beam, and before she could reclaim it, he was on top of her, hands around her throat. "Die!" he hissed, applying pressure. While the fight was absolutely the best one he had ever been in, it had taken him far too much time. He needed to complete his mission now.

T-Pol fought for breath as he squeezed her throat, cutting off her air supply. She retained enough of her senses to notice something interesting; the handle of a blade hidden in the left sleeve of uniform. It seems that, in the midst of bloodlust, he had forgotten about it. Here was a small chance for her.

The Reman, of course, thought that she was merely clawing at his arm in a panicked effort to free herself from his grip. Keeping his focus on choking the life out of her, he didn't take notice of his little dagger leaving its small sheath.

He did feel it when it was jabbed into his other arm. Hissing in pain as it penetrated his battle fogged brain, he instinctively let go of her, jerking the injured limb away. It would be the last mistake he would ever make.

Her throat now open for business again, T-Pol made sure his would feel some of the pain. She jabbed his throat with her fingers, causing him to choke. She shoved him off, scrambled to her feet, then kicked him hard in the jaw. Finally, she grabbed him by his scale covered skull, and bashed his skull into the nearest solid surface. Twice. At the same time, a container finally lost its battle with gravity, and fell, adding yet one more blow to his cranium.

At long last, the Reman dropped to the ground. Living or dead, it did not matter. Either way, his soul was doomed. That much, she was certain of.

Panting for a moment as she took sweet, life giving oxygen into her lungs, T-Pol pulled her communicator out. "T-Pol to bridge," she called in. "I've contained the saboteur. Have someone from security come and pick him up."

_"Acknowledged,"_ Archer replied, sounding quite relieved. _"The rest of the Reman boarding party has been dealt with, so we can focus on not blowing up."_

She smiled wearily. "I'll be back on the bridge as soon as my problem is carted away. T-Pol out." She sat down, keeping her eyes focused on the unconscious Reman. She didn't know how that canister fell, but she wasn't complaining either. It certainly helped her win the day. "Your kung-fu is not strong," she muttered. It was an old Earth saying, as she had recently discovered. It was accurate in this instance.

It also felt right.  
-

_**Scimitar**_

Neither Bre-tac or Dardos could tell you how the battle had turned, though Bre-tac had a pretty good idea where it started.

Their fight had been temporarily halted by the renewed assault on the _Scimitar_, and had had to move apart form one another as a great many different supplies and weapons were unceremoniously dumped from their carefully stacked locations to scatter along the floor. The assault units would have fallen as well, had it not been for the magnetic generators still working and the heavy duty naquadah cables that kept them against the wall. Remans were warriors who eager for battle, not stupid.

Rising from where he had taken cover, Dardos took a look around, and realized what had happened. Somehow, the _Enterprise_ boarding party had managed to disable their shields, most likely by utilizing the diagnostic program. (A flaw that he was going to address, once they had achieved victory over their enemies and taken control of the Confederation.) The _Enterprise _and _Crusher_ then capitalized on this new weakness, and managed to inflict enough damage to insure that those shields would never be restored for the rest of the battle. In short, the battle had just become far more evenly matched. And he was starting to have doubts that their assault teams had not succeeded in disabling the enemy ships either.

He admitted to himself that there was a strong possibility that the Remans could very well lose the day. But how? How could their opponent's have such success.

He had an idea as to how. _Enterprise _and _Crusher_ had a god in their corner as well, giving them a fighting chance. One of Goa's enemies, no doubt. And there was really only one he could think of right off the top of his head.

Looking around, he realized that Bre-tac had gone missing during the assault. But where? Where had he gone? Where could he hide?

He immediately figured that out as well. If you were on a time table, and you needed to complete your mission, where would you go? Sadly, he had a very good idea where his opponent had gone.

_'The basssssstard_ _isssssssss on hissssssss way back to the thalaron generator,'_ he thought irritably, already making his way across the room. _'If he ssssssssucceedsssssss, then we will have no way to contain the radiation. At leassssssst we do not have the radiation. Otherwisssssse, the ship will be completely dessssssstroyed.' _But it would still be a stain on his record if the Jaffa managed to succeed. He had to be stopped.

Or Goas would torture his soul for eternity.  
-

Bre-tac was indeed back at the generator, setting the last of the charges in the room. He did this so that there was absolutely no way for it to survive. As an added measure, he set each charge to go off two seconds after one another, so the explosive capability was cumulative. This would override whatever shield they had over it with ease. He set them for two minutes, which would give him just enough time to get a good distance away.

There was another reason why he set it for two minutes; it would give Dardos very little time to disable them. And he would try and disable them.

He set the last charge onto the nearby console, giving it its orders, before standing up. All he had to do was get out of there before...

"Ssssssssstep away from the generator!" Dardos snarled from behind him, his disruptor pointed right at his head. He was panting hard, his tongue flickering out at far faster rate than before as he took in air. It was clear that he would fire if Bre-tac so much as blinked.

Bre-tac sighed. If he had been but a second sooner, then he would have been able to stop him. But, it was clear that he was a fool. "Admiral, we are entirely too old to continue this battle," he said. "Also, you are far too late. The charges have been set, and will detonate in less than two minutes. Both of us will die in the resulting explosion." He watched the Reman's eyes tremble for a moment as he quickly realized what it meant. "Your thalaron generator will be gone, and I am certain that you do not have the financial capital to build another.

"Then you will disssssengage... the timersssssssss!"

"I will not, and you will not have enough time to do so yourself." The Jaffa glared at him, observing Dardos as he began running through every single strategy he could think of. "Have you begun to realize just how badly you have underestimated us? Did you think that your Goas would be able to aid you in this battle?"

Dardos' next snarl was far more bestial than before, as if his mind was regressing to a more primitive state. His hand holding the disruptor was shaking from impotent rage. He was beginning to realize that there would be no victory here for him, regardless of what happened. His mission was a failure.

And so, with a roar that was most certainly _not_ one would normally hear from anything that had evolved from a serpent like creature, Dardos threw away rational thought, and charged the Jaffa Master.

Bre-tac, quite understandably, had not been ready for such an aggressive move from what had been a cunning foe. So he was admittedly slow to react when younger warrior slammed into him, knocking off of his feet. He barely managed to bring his arm up to block the sudden vision of gnashing teeth, coming down to tear his face off. And, if he was honest with himself, if he didn't do something soon, that would very much be a possibility.

Forcing Dardos back as far as he could, the Jaffa Master managed to get a foot into the Reman's chest, kicking his away. Managing to get back to a vertical base, he kicked him several more times, knocking him away, before taking a look at the timer on the closest charge. One minute remaining.

Hearing the hissing sound starting up again, Bre-tac shifted his attention back to Dardos, who was now back on his feet. He readied himself for the next charge, an idea half forming in his head. It would require split second timing, but it was doable in a pinch.

Dardos, his rage clouding his common sense, did just that; charging.

Bre-tac, with a speed and grace belying his advanced years, spun out of the way, kicking Dardos in the ass. As Dardos' head collided with the side of side of the generator, the Jaffa was upon him, grabbing one of his legs, and giving it a powerful elbow. The snap of a bone breaking under that blow brought out an almost human scream of pain from the admiral. He fell to the ground in agony.

Bre-tac stood over him, breathing hard. "You are younger, and stronger, but not the wiser," he managed to gasp out. "You have let your pride and arrogance destroy you and your crew. Now, reap the rewards of such anger, Admiral Dardos." With that last parting shot, he made his way out of the room.

Reason returned to Dardos by this point, and he realized that he had indeed done more than failed on his mission. He had failed in every single way possible. And he couldn't even escape, as his equilibrium was presently shattered. How did it happen? How did it all go wrong?

Turning his head, he caught sight of one of the charges, and knew there was one thing left to complete this incredibly bad day.

_Five._

_ Four._

_ Three._

_ Two._

_ One._

And the room dissolved in a blast of fire.  
-

"_Enterprissssssssse'sssssssss_ defenses are finally down," Tactical finally reported. "_Crusher'ssssssss_ are at six percccccccent."

"Finally," the Commander muttered. "Target their enginessssssss. Destroy them both." He could finally tell the Admiral some good news when he returned to the bridge. Their mission was delayed, but could still be carried out.

The sudden shudder that went through the bridge dashed that good news before it could permanently settle.

"What in the name of _Chao_ was that?!" the Commander shouted.

"Internal explosion!" Tactical replied. "It wasssssss... it wassssssss the thalaron generator room, SSSSSSSSSSSir." The last bit was spoken in a resigned tone, as there was no reason to say everything. "And there issssssssss more. Another sssssssssstarship has dropped out of warp. It is the other human vessel."

The Commander sank back into the Command Chair, watching all of the Reman's plans go up in smoke, one by one. It was only a matter of time now, before the Confederation came for them. They were finished.

As if to lend weight to that assessment, the turbolift doors opened, spewing out the entirety of the boarding party, weapons out and immediately pointing at every single member of the bridge crew. All of them were ready to leap out of their seats, to fight these invaders, but the wave of a hand stopped them. It would do no good. They had the advantage now.

Susan walked up to the Commander, and smiled gently. "If you want to fight," she said quite calmly, serenely, "I won't stop you. However, as Engineering is presently preparing to douse this whole ship with knockout gas if they don't hear from me in four minutes, you can be assured that it won't end well for you. Now, do you surrender?"

The Commander didn't even have time to think of his response, not that he needed to. Because at that moment, there was a burst of light, and another vessel joined the little stand off. And, judging by how it was designed, it was a safe bet that it was the other human ship. But, unlike _Enterprise_ and _Crusher_, this one had fully functional shields.

It also looked far better armed as well.

Sighing, knowing that he and his crew were probably already dead once Goas got around to them, he said, very concisely, "We ssssssssssssurender."

And started counting down the days until his soul was ripped from his body.  
-

"Captain, the _Scimitar_ is hailing us," Communications reported.

Archer nodded, sharing a confused look with Ex. They were at the end of their rope. Despite the damage they had caused, not to mention the internal explosion of what they had all assumed was the thalaron generator being destroyed, they were still outgunned. And whatever luck they had had finally run out.

They were practically defenseless. Karken was no better off.

Squaring his shoulders, the Captain nodded to Communications. "On screen," he began to say, preparing his terms of surrender... if they were even going to let them surrender.

That changed when Reed suddenly called out, "Captain, _Voyager_ has just dropped out of warp! They have raised shields and charged weapons!"

"I can do you one better! The communication... is from the Away Team!" the Ensign added, relief coloring his professional tone. "They have taken command of the _Scimitar_, and are reporting that Dardos has been dealt with!"

"Put the away team on screen!" Archer couldn't believe it. Their luck had _not_ run out after all. If anything, it had saved them the very best for last.

His grin became truly contagious when Susan's face appeared, looking eminently satisfied. _"Captain, I have no idea what happened, and I frankly don't care, but we have victory. The _Scimitar's_ commander has surrendered, and is ready to negotiate terms... even though he looks like he's going to be put in front of a firing squad very shortly."_

Quite frankly, despite thefact that it was improper for a Starfleet Officer to think that, Archer could've given two shakes what happened to the Remans. "I'm sure Commander Karken will be more than happy to do just that," he said, having a difficult time keeping his voice level at that statement. He wasn't feeling smug for having survived, honest.

After getting assurances of a full debriefing after they had returned to the _Enterprise_, as well as congratulating Bre-tac for pulling off the impossible, Archer had Janeway contacted next. "Kudos to your impeccable timing," he stated immediately. "We were beginning to think you weren't going to make it."

Janeway grinned. _"__The joys of Warp Nine. It lets us get here in a fraction of the time. __It looks like you didn't need any help __from us, __though,__"_ she replied. "_I have to ask; How does it feel to take down a Goliath?"_

"It feel good, Captain. It feels very good."

Ex and Reed looked at one another, both smiling in a combination of humor and relief. Though they both knew that the war was far from over, they were both happy to simply be alive. Her hand found his, and squeezed it gently. He returned the squeeze.  
-

Silik slid back into the brig, remembering to put the grating back into place behind him. It had been so satisfying to drop that canister on top of that Reman, and not be caught by T-Pol.

Of course, it had been pure coincidence that he had found the two of them in the storage bay, fighting for supremacy. And although it looked like T-Pol hadn't needed any help, he given it to her. No sense of letting the bastard suddenly get the drop on her.

Leaning back, the Suliban let himself rest, waiting for the next time that he needed get out. And he would get out.

He still had a mission to complete, after all.  
-

In the end, the post battle was surprisingly simple. No ships were destroyed, and only a few members of the _Scimitar's _crew were actually dead. Dardos was among them, though there was no body to speak of. Of course, there was the little detail that the thalaron generator had been vaporized, and he had been right next to it, so it was no surprise. And, considering all of the weirdness of the day, it wasn't really that important.

Several ships loyal to the Confederation had taken control of the _Scimitar_, and were escorting it back to the Capital, where their Praetor would have them court martialed (or the Sunak equivalent) and sentenced.

But now, the three ships were on their way back to Earth, while Karken left with the Sunak task force. He had promised to try and bring the fleet to Earth in its defense. While he was skeptical of his chances, he had stated that honor demanded no less.

T-Pol was musing this as she sat in the Mess Hall, taking a few minutes to enjoy the peace and quiet while writing up her report. She had been given a clean bill of health by Doctor Phlox, despite the number of bruises she had accumulated. It was definitely a testament to Vulcan physiology that she didn't have any broken bones. Some of those blows could have snapped her ribs.

Blinking slightly, she tried to keep her eyesight from going on her. She was tired, more tired than she had ever felt before. And even with her discipline, she could feel it.

Someone sat down next to her, making her smirk slightly. She knew who it was. "So much for my peace and quiet," she murmured in amusement.

Trip shrugged. "I got a few minutes of peace," he explained, grinning. "Figured I'd come and bug ya."

"Bug me all you want. I don't mind." She set the pad down, resisting the urge to rub her eyes. It had been one very long day, and she knew that she would need to rest, even if only for a moment. Unfortunately, there was a good chance that their day was not yet over.

Trip, it seemed, was rather perceptive where she was concerned, because he rubbed her shoulder. "You need to go meditate for a while," he said. "I'll let the Cap'n know, if you'd like."

T-Pol shook her head. "No, after everything that's happened, I'm going to need actual sleep. And I can't because we still have a whole lot to do. We have to be ready for the next attack..."

"And you won't do anyone any good if you don't take a nap." He took the Padd from her, despite her protests. "Go on. Take a few hours. This'll still be here when you wake up."

She was about to argue, when the most undignified thing happened... she let out a yawn, which ended the argument before it began. "Fine, you win," she grumbled. "I'll take an hour. But then you're going to as well."

He nodded, as if he had been planning it all along. Perhaps he had been. It was difficult to tell with him sometimes. "No problem," he replied. It was a fair enough deal.

"And Trip? My quarters are closer."

That just clinched it for him.  
-

**Valhalla, Shrine of Harmony**

A delicate hand moved away from the Great Window, the Goddess it was attached to smiling slightly in relief at the image of Trip and T-Pol. It was good to see that some constants would remain, even if they formed under different circumstances.

Cosmos let the image fade away, before making her way over to her seat. It had been difficult, getting permission from the Pantheon to interfere in a mortal battle. The vote almost didn't go her way. However, Zeus had been a godsend in this instance, detailing the shifts in the Balance as a good reason to become more involved. And, considering what she knew of the reason behind it...

In any event, _Enterprise _and _Crusher _no longer needed any assistance from the Gods. The Reman ships had already cloaked and fled upon hearing of the S_cimitar's_ defeat. But they would reveal themselves somewhere else, and it was a question as to what they would do, and how much they would do before they were stopped.

That was a worry for another day. Right at the moment, she needed to send word to the warriors who had aided her in the Cycle Wars. The Powers That Be had learned of something would have serious ramifications to the Balance if it wasn't dealt with quickly. And she still needed to find Faith. After all, four years was long enough for a self imposed exile.

* * *

And here it is, Part Two of Chapter Forty Two. This is a little rougher than Part One, but I am typing this on the fly. Unlike Silver Star Story and Trinity, which I put down on paper first. It's just a little plot idea that I had all those years ago.

Chapter Forty Three will take us back to Earth for Smith's attack, as well as the final parts of Fire and Wind's Trials, but I'm first turning my attention back to Silver Star Story.

Okay, I watched 'The Miller's Daughter' from OUAT, and I have to admit that I was surprised by how they did it. I have also read the comments of other fanfiction writers while browsing the site, and know how they feel. All I can tell you is that these are not the fairy tale stories we all grew up with. OUAT treats them all as if they were real people, with real problems. The Evil Queen? Not so much evil as a broken woman desperate for love, having done evil things. Snow White? Not a meek and mild princess. In the end, they have both done an incredible amount of damage to one another. And until they both say enough is enough, they will do even more.

As always, read and review.


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